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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 · spell · current · lie · track · sharp · tube

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. track — to keep track
  3. current — of water
  4. current — happening now
  5. lie — to recline
  6. spell — a short time
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — for a lock
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. key — in music
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. track — a path
  17. spell — magic
  18. current — electric
  19. spell — letters
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. track — a song
  22. scale — size or range
  23. tube — the underground
  24. scale — in music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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