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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.

Make a worksheet

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: lash · last · scale · game · date · key · chair · stick

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. last — to go on
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. key — in music
  5. scale — in music
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. scale — size or range
  8. chair — a leader
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — a match
  11. last — finally
  12. last — final
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. date — the fruit
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. game — wild animals
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. key — the most important part
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. key — for a lock
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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