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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 120 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: capital · scale · fork · bass · key · fan · club · chair

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. club — for dancing
  3. key — in music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. scale — in music
  9. chair — a leader
  10. capital — a city
  11. bass — low music
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. fork — in a road
  16. club — for golf
  17. key — for a lock
  18. scale — size or range
  19. capital — money
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. bass — the fish
  24. club — a group

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