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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
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: rash · key · racket · scale · kid · march · foot · hide

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. march — music
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. scale — in music
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. key — for a lock
  9. kid — child
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. kid — to tease
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. key — in music
  15. rash — a series
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. march — the month
  18. foot — a measure
  19. march — the month
  20. scale — size or range
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. key — the most important part

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