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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
468
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: pop · trunk · key · pitcher · sharp · clip · scale · toast

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. toast — bread
  3. scale — size or range
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. key — the most important part
  8. scale — in music
  9. sharp — clever
  10. clip — a video
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. pop — music
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. clip — for paper
  19. pop — soda
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. key — in music
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. key — for a lock

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