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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: key · bass · pound · kid · board · scale · fork · perch

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  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. board — a committee
  2. pound — a weight
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. fork — in a road
  6. bass — the fish
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. bass — low music
  10. kid — to tease
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. perch — the fish
  13. key — in music
  14. kid — child
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. scale — in music
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. key — for a lock
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a flat piece
  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