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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
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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 · rash · pitch · cabinet · key · pop · scale · sharp

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. pop — soda
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. pop — to visit
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. sharp — clever
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. key — for a lock
  10. rash — a series
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. key — the most important part
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pop — music
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. key — in music
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. scale — size or range
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. scale — in music
  24. sharp — exactly

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