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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.

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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: wind · rule · pass · present · arm · key · scale · fork

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. fork — in a road
  4. scale — in music
  5. key — in music
  6. wind — moving air
  7. key — the most important part
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. key — for a lock
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. present — a gift
  14. rule — government
  15. wind — moving air
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. present — the time now
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. rule — a law
  24. scale — size or range

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