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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 · ground · fan · key · arm · bound · cell · rash

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — tied together
  5. key — for a lock
  6. scale — size or range
  7. ground — crushed
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — hasty
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. cell — in biology
  13. key — the most important part
  14. rash — a series
  15. scale — in music
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bound — certain
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. cell — a phone
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ground — a position
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. key — in music

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