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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 120 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
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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: leaves · squash · saw · mark · bound · scale · key · field

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — a subject
  5. key — for a lock
  6. scale — in music
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — obliged
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. mark — a trace
  11. saw — the tool
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. squash — the sport
  14. field — farmland
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. scale — size or range
  17. bound — tied together
  18. key — in music
  19. mark — a grade
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. saw — the tool
  23. key — the most important part
  24. squash — to crush

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