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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: pop · deal · cold · bowl · fork · key · scale · snap

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. scale — size or range
  5. snap — to click
  6. pop — soda
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. scale — in music
  9. pop — to visit
  10. key — in music
  11. key — for a lock
  12. cold — an illness
  13. fork — in a road
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. cold — not warm
  16. key — the most important part
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. pop — music
  23. deal — to handle
  24. bowl — a dish

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