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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: firm · hand · scale · swing · key · straw · roll · ball

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. firm — a company
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. swing — in golf
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. roll — a list
  8. ball — a great time
  9. hand — help
  10. ball — a dance
  11. swing — music
  12. scale — in music
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. key — the most important part
  16. scale — size or range
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. roll — a cake
  19. swing — to play on
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — decided
  22. key — for a lock
  23. key — in music
  24. hand — in cards

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