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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.

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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: trunk · mine · wind · scale · kick · key · cue · current

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — size or range
  3. cue — a signal
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. scale — in music
  7. key — in music
  8. kick — in football
  9. mine — for digging
  10. current — of water
  11. wind — moving air
  12. key — for a lock
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. key — the most important part
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. wind — moving air
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — for pool
  21. current — electric
  22. current — happening now
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. mine — belonging to me

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