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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: scale · wound · saw · shower · key · date · pound · object

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. scale — size or range
  3. scale — in music
  4. key — in music
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pound — a weight
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. key — for a lock
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. object — a thing
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. saw — the tool
  17. key — the most important part
  18. date — the fruit
  19. object — an aim
  20. shower — to wash
  21. shower — rain
  22. wound — an injury
  23. saw — the tool
  24. object — to protest

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