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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 124 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.

Make a worksheet

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

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: ground · bound · land · scale · key · spell

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bound — obliged
  4. scale — size or range
  5. ground — the earth
  6. scale — in music
  7. spell — a short time
  8. land — to come down
  9. ground — crushed
  10. land — a country
  11. key — in music
  12. spell — letters
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. ground — a position
  15. land — ground
  16. bound — certain
  17. spell — magic
  18. bound — tied together

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