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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: key · track · drill · ground · scale · lash · capital · suit

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. capital — a city
  3. key — for a lock
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. key — in music
  6. ground — the earth
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. ground — crushed
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. scale — in music
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. key — the most important part
  13. drill — army training
  14. track — a path
  15. drill — the tool
  16. track — a song
  17. ground — a position
  18. drill — a practice
  19. suit — clothes
  20. track — to keep track
  21. suit — to fit
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. suit — in cards
  24. capital — money

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