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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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 · ground · chest · bass · key · fine · toast · lash

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. chest — of your body
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. chest — of your body
  6. ground — a position
  7. toast — bread
  8. key — the most important part
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. ground — crushed
  11. scale — in music
  12. fine — all right
  13. key — for a lock
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. chest — a box
  16. fine — high quality
  17. ground — the earth
  18. scale — size or range
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bass — low music
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. bass — the fish

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