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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: leaves · cell · cue · stick · scale · arm · roll · key

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. key — in music
  3. cue — a signal
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. roll — a cake
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. scale — size or range
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. cell — in biology
  10. scale — in music
  11. key — the most important part
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. cell — a phone
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. cue — a hint
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. key — for a lock
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. cue — for pool
  23. roll — a list
  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