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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: scale · mouse · straw · bank · key · lean · drill · pitch

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. lean — thin
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. lean — to bend
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bank — of a river
  11. key — in music
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. scale — in music
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — army training
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bank — for money
  18. key — for a lock
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. pitch — completely
  21. drill — the tool
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. bank — for money
  24. scale — size or range

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