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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · plane · fork · firm · bound · wound · key · degree

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bound — obliged
  5. fork — in a road
  6. key — for a lock
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. degree — temperature
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bound — tied together
  11. firm — decided
  12. degree — from a university
  13. degree — an amount
  14. wound — an injury
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. bound — certain
  17. scale — size or range
  18. firm — steady
  19. scale — in music
  20. firm — a company
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. plane — a tool

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