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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: scale · lean · key · toast · degree · rock · bat · sharp

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. key — the most important part
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. key — for a lock
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bat — the animal
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. lean — thin
  10. rock — music
  11. scale — in music
  12. lean — to bend
  13. key — in music
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — from a university
  17. toast — bread
  18. scale — size or range
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. sharp — clever
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. degree — an amount
  24. bat — for baseball

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