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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: face · mouse · prune · stock · key · track · sharp · scale

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. face — to point toward
  3. key — for a lock
  4. scale — in music
  5. track — a path
  6. track — a song
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. stock — goods
  9. track — to keep track
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. face — part of the head
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. scale — size or range
  15. key — the most important part
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. face — to confront
  20. prune — to trim
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. stock — shares
  23. prune — to trim
  24. key — in music

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