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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: scale · key · spell · firm · staff · cabinet · club · net

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. key — for a lock
  3. firm — decided
  4. spell — magic
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. net — in sport
  7. key — in music
  8. scale — size or range
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. key — the most important part
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. scale — in music
  14. spell — a short time
  15. firm — steady
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — a group
  18. spell — letters
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — after costs
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. club — for dancing
  24. firm — a company

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