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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 120 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: ball · fork · lean · scale · cap · stock · land · key

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. key — in music
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. ball — a dance
  5. cap — of ice
  6. key — the most important part
  7. stock — shares
  8. lean — to bend
  9. cap — a hat
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. scale — size or range
  12. stock — goods
  13. fork — in a road
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. ball — a great time
  16. land — ground
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. lean — thin
  19. scale — in music
  20. key — for a lock
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. land — to come down
  23. cap — a lid
  24. land — a country

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