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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 116 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: wind · scale · key · bulb · swing · pass · game · spring

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. game — a match
  3. key — the most important part
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. spring — the season
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — in music
  8. swing — in golf
  9. spring — a coil
  10. bulb — for light
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — to play on
  13. wind — moving air
  14. scale — size or range
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. spring — of water
  22. scale — in music
  23. pass — a permit
  24. bulb — for light

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