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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: content · pop · scale · spell · deal · key · temple · last

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. key — the most important part
  3. last — final
  4. pop — music
  5. deal — to handle
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. spell — magic
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. content — happy
  11. content — the amount
  12. pop — soda
  13. key — for a lock
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. pop — to visit
  17. last — finally
  18. last — to go on
  19. key — in music
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. scale — size or range
  22. spell — letters
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. spell — a short time

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