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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: bowl · arm · scale · spring · current · sharp · net · key

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. current — electric
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. sharp — clever
  10. net — in sport
  11. key — the most important part
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. scale — in music
  14. net — after costs
  15. spring — a coil
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. current — of water
  18. current — happening now
  19. scale — size or range
  20. net — for catching
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — of water
  23. key — in music
  24. scale — for weighing

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