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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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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: roll · scale · arm · firm · key · file · track · date

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — decided
  3. key — the most important part
  4. roll — a list
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. track — a song
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. file — a line of people
  10. firm — steady
  11. track — to keep track
  12. scale — in music
  13. file — a document
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — in music
  16. roll — a cake
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. date — the fruit
  19. scale — size or range
  20. track — a path
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. file — a tool
  24. roll — on a roll

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