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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: key · bowl · scale · bore · foot · race · face · sharp

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. face — to confront
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. face — part of the head
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. race — a contest
  9. race — humankind
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. race — the arms race
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bore — to tire
  16. key — in music
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bore — to drill
  21. foot — a measure
  22. scale — size or range
  23. key — the most important part
  24. face — to point toward

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