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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 116 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
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 · race · track · game · leaves · key · lean · pit

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. track — a song
  3. track — to keep track
  4. key — in music
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. lean — thin
  7. game — a match
  8. key — for a lock
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. race — the arms race
  13. pit — a hole
  14. lean — to bend
  15. race — a contest
  16. scale — size or range
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. race — humankind
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. game — wild animals
  21. pit — in a race
  22. track — a path
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. scale — in music

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