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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: club · row · stand · kick · key · scale

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. key — in music
  5. row — a line
  6. scale — size or range
  7. key — the most important part
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. scale — in music
  12. key — for a lock
  13. club — a group
  14. row — to paddle
  15. club — for golf
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — on your feet

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com