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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
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: trunk · pop · bear · scale · game · key · snap · chest

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. pop — music
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. key — the most important part
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. key — for a lock
  9. chest — of your body
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. pop — to visit
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — a match
  14. scale — size or range
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bear — the animal
  17. snap — to click
  18. pop — soda
  19. bear — the animal
  20. chest — a box
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. game — wild animals
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. key — 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