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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 116 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: ruler · spring · fork · branch · key · ground · wake · scale

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. spring — a coil
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. wake — a trail
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. key — for a lock
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. ground — the earth
  10. scale — size or range
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ground — a position
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. spring — of water
  17. spring — the season
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. key — in music
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. key — the most important part
  23. branch — a division
  24. wake — before a funeral

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