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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.

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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rock · present · safe · key · capital · scale

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. rock — a stone
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. key — the most important part
  5. rock — music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. capital — a city
  8. present — there
  9. scale — in music
  10. capital — money
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. key — in music
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. present — a gift
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. present — the time now

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