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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: race · kick · key · scale · mouse · fan · game · jam

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — the most important part
  11. race — humankind
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. kick — in football
  14. scale — in music
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. scale — size or range
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. game — a match
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. race — a contest
  22. race — the arms race
  23. game — wild animals
  24. key — 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