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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.

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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 · racket · mark · ground · bass · rule · march

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — low music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. ground — the earth
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. march — music
  12. rule — a law
  13. key — in music
  14. march — the month
  15. rule — government
  16. scale — in music
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. march — the month
  19. mark — a trace
  20. key — the most important part
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — crushed
  23. mark — a grade
  24. scale — size or range

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