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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: key · rest · perch · scale · pitcher · current · ball · track

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. scale — in music
  3. track — to keep track
  4. key — in music
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. key — for a lock
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. track — a path
  9. rest — what's left
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. ball — a dance
  13. rest — a break
  14. current — happening now
  15. rest — what's left
  16. ball — a great time
  17. scale — size or range
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. track — a song
  20. current — of water
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. current — electric
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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