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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: bowl · track · bound · pitcher · key · scale · fall · hand

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bound — tied together
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. key — in music
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bound — certain
  7. track — a path
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. scale — size or range
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — help
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. fall — to drop
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bound — obliged
  21. track — a song
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. fall — the season
  24. scale — in music

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