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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: key · stock · scale · land · mine · racket · swing · bay

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. stock — goods
  3. swing — in golf
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. land — a country
  8. swing — music
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. key — for a lock
  11. stock — shares
  12. scale — in music
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. key — the most important part
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. mine — for digging
  17. swing — to play on
  18. land — to come down
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. scale — size or range
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. land — ground
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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