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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
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: stick · squash · key · land · pound · nail · mine · scale

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. land — ground
  4. key — the most important part
  5. squash — the sport
  6. squash — to crush
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. scale — in music
  15. land — a country
  16. scale — size or range
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. mine — for digging
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. key — in music
  21. land — to come down
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. key — for a lock
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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