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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: object · cabinet · swing · net · wave · pit · scale · key

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. key — the most important part
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — for catching
  7. swing — in golf
  8. object — an aim
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. pit — a hole
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. object — a thing
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. object — to protest
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. net — in sport
  18. swing — to play on
  19. scale — in music
  20. key — in music
  21. swing — music
  22. scale — size or range
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. key — for a lock

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