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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.

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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: fall · key · rash · racket · rock · fork · scale · toast

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rash — hasty
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. fork — in a road
  7. rock — a stone
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — to drop
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — in music
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. fall — the season
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. scale — size or range
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. toast — bread
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. rock — 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