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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: fine · season · scale · stand · rock · wind · key · race

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  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. fine — all right
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. stand — to bear
  5. race — a contest
  6. rock — music
  7. race — the arms race
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — moving air
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. key — in music
  13. scale — size or range
  14. rock — a stone
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. key — for a lock
  18. fine — high quality
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. season — of the year
  21. season — in sport
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. race — humankind
  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