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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: club · tube · key · mine · fall · rock · mug · scale

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. fall — the season
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. key — in music
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. scale — size or range
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mine — for digging
  10. club — for dancing
  11. club — a group
  12. key — the most important part
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. key — for a lock
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. scale — in music
  18. rock — music
  19. fall — to drop
  20. tube — the underground
  21. fall — to drop
  22. mug — to rob
  23. tube — a container
  24. club — for golf

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