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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 116 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 · march · key · last · row · cell · racket · cabinet

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. scale — in music
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. row — a line
  6. march — the month
  7. cell — a phone
  8. cell — in biology
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. scale — size or range
  11. last — final
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. row — to paddle
  14. march — music
  15. last — to go on
  16. key — in music
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. last — finally
  19. key — for a lock
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. key — the most important part
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. march — the month

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