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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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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 · key · bowl · row · rule · kick · tear

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  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. kick — with a leg
  2. key — for a lock
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. kick — in football
  8. row — a line
  9. tear — to rip
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. rule — a law
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. key — in music
  17. scale — size or range
  18. row — to paddle
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. key — the most important part
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. tear — from crying
  23. rule — government
  24. scale — in music

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