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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: mate · hand · ball · lie · bore · swing · scale · key

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. swing — in golf
  3. ball — a great time
  4. scale — in music
  5. key — in music
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mate — to breed
  13. lie — to recline
  14. ball — a dance
  15. scale — size or range
  16. key — the most important part
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — to play on
  19. hand — help
  20. mate — a partner
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. key — for a lock
  24. bore — to drill

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