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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: foot · ground · spell · capital · key · nail · scale · band

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. spell — a short time
  6. scale — size or range
  7. ground — crushed
  8. band — a ring
  9. scale — in music
  10. spell — letters
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. key — the most important part
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. band — a music group
  16. ground — the earth
  17. key — for a lock
  18. spell — magic
  19. capital — money
  20. capital — a city
  21. key — in music
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. foot — a measure
  24. ground — a position

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