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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: key · last · stock · rash · bear · deal · scale · plane

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. key — in music
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. rash — a series
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. key — the most important part
  11. stock — goods
  12. scale — size or range
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. plane — a tool
  16. stock — shares
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. scale — in music
  21. last — finally
  22. deal — to handle
  23. rash — hasty
  24. last — final

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