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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: tear · spring · bowl · rock · key · object · scale · bat

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. object — a thing
  3. scale — in music
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. key — for a lock
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — to protest
  9. rock — music
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. tear — to rip
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. key — in music
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bat — the animal
  18. scale — size or range
  19. key — the most important part
  20. rock — a stone
  21. spring — a coil
  22. tear — from crying
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. spring — of water

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