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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: toast · coach · stem · scale · tube · key · roll · fork

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. key — in music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. scale — in music
  6. tube — the underground
  7. toast — bread
  8. roll — a list
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. stem — to come from
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. scale — size or range
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. roll — a cake
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. tube — a container
  20. fork — in a road
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. key — the most important part

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