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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.

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 · object · key · plane · bore · degree · bark · bat

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bark — to shout
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — the most important part
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. object — a thing
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. degree — from a university
  9. scale — size or range
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — a tool
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. scale — in music
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. key — in music
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. degree — temperature
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bat — the animal
  23. degree — an amount
  24. object — an aim

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