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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.

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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: can · wave · shower · track · bear · scale · ball · key

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. ball — a dance
  4. key — in music
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. scale — size or range
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. key — the most important part
  14. track — to keep track
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. shower — to wash
  17. key — for a lock
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. track — a song
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a great time
  22. shower — rain
  23. bear — the animal
  24. scale — in music

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