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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mug · scale · trunk · degree · lie · key · toast · band

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. degree — an amount
  3. mug — to rob
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. key — the most important part
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. band — a ring
  9. degree — temperature
  10. key — in music
  11. mug — a face
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. key — for a lock
  15. toast — bread
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. scale — in music
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. mug — a cup
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. scale — size or range
  22. degree — from a university
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. lie — to recline

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