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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.

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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: plane · bulb · key · scale · shower · ground · present · leaves

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. key — the most important part
  3. plane — a tool
  4. ground — a position
  5. bulb — for light
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. ground — crushed
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. present — the time now
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. present — a gift
  12. key — for a lock
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. present — there
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. shower — to wash
  18. scale — size or range
  19. ground — the earth
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bulb — for light
  22. shower — rain
  23. scale — in music
  24. scale — for weighing

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