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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
Word bank
YesNo
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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: file · scale · wave · season · key · field · root · object

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. key — the most important part
  3. root — of a plant
  4. field — a subject
  5. season — in sport
  6. key — in music
  7. object — an aim
  8. scale — in music
  9. key — for a lock
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. root — the cause
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. root — of a word
  15. object — a thing
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. scale — size or range
  18. season — of the year
  19. object — to protest
  20. file — a line of people
  21. field — for sport
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. field — farmland
  24. file — a document

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