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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: key · spring · safe · clip · leaves · fine · jam · scale

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. fine — high quality
  4. spring — of water
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. key — in music
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — for a lock
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. fine — all right
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. clip — a video
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. spring — the season
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. clip — to cut
  22. scale — size or range
  23. clip — for paper
  24. spring — a coil

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