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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: fork · club · scale · content · rush · rest · key · ground

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. content — the amount
  3. key — for a lock
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. content — happy
  6. key — in music
  7. rush — hurry
  8. ground — the earth
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. club — for golf
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. fork — in a road
  13. club — a group
  14. rest — a break
  15. scale — in music
  16. scale — size or range
  17. club — for dancing
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. key — the most important part
  20. ground — a position
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. rest — what's left
  23. ground — crushed
  24. rest — what's left

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