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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · wake · cue · cap · scale · degree · nail · drill

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. scale — in music
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. cap — of ice
  5. drill — a practice
  6. key — the most important part
  7. drill — the tool
  8. cue — for pool
  9. scale — size or range
  10. degree — from a university
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. key — for a lock
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. wake — a trail
  15. drill — army training
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. degree — an amount
  18. key — in music
  19. cue — a signal
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cap — a lid
  24. degree — temperature

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