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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: wound · nail · key · club · bat · pop · scale · dip

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. bat — the animal
  3. club — for dancing
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. club — for golf
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. scale — size or range
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — for a lock
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. key — in music
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — in music
  19. club — a group
  20. pop — music
  21. wound — an injury
  22. pop — to visit
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. pop — soda

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