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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: content · scale · bank · ground · key · fork · cap · bore

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  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. scale — in music
  2. bore — to tire
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bank — for money
  5. cap — of ice
  6. key — for a lock
  7. fork — in a road
  8. key — the most important part
  9. content — happy
  10. key — in music
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. content — the amount
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. ground — a position
  16. cap — a lid
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. cap — a hat
  19. bank — of a river
  20. scale — size or range
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bank — for money
  23. ground — crushed
  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