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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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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: scale · club · clip · firm · pitch · dip · key · lie

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. scale — in music
  3. key — in music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. clip — to cut
  6. club — for golf
  7. firm — a company
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. clip — a video
  10. club — a group
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitch — completely
  14. scale — size or range
  15. lie — to recline
  16. dip — to sink
  17. clip — for paper
  18. club — for dancing
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. key — for a lock
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. firm — decided

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