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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: scale · shower · key · pop · drill · hand · racket · firm

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. pop — music
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. pop — to visit
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — steady
  9. pop — soda
  10. firm — a company
  11. hand — in cards
  12. shower — to wash
  13. scale — size or range
  14. drill — army training
  15. drill — a practice
  16. drill — the tool
  17. hand — help
  18. shower — rain
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — for a lock
  23. key — in music
  24. racket — for tennis

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