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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: cold · current · ground · scale · cabinet · key · tube · bay

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. ground — a position
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. cold — an illness
  5. scale — size or range
  6. current — of water
  7. tube — a container
  8. key — in music
  9. cold — not warm
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. ground — the earth
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. ground — crushed
  14. current — electric
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. key — for a lock
  17. tube — the underground
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. scale — in music
  22. key — the most important part
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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