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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: key · scale · staff · pass · tube · rash · cap · wake

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. wake — a trail
  3. cap — of ice
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — size or range
  6. cap — a lid
  7. tube — a container
  8. rash — a series
  9. key — the most important part
  10. staff — a stick
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. scale — in music
  13. key — in music
  14. cap — a hat
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. key — for a lock
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. tube — the underground
  21. staff — employees
  22. pass — a permit
  23. staff — employees
  24. rash — hasty

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