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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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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 · bass · scale · fall · ground · coach · safe · wake

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. key — in music
  3. fall — to drop
  4. ground — the earth
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. key — the most important part
  7. scale — in music
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. wake — a trail
  10. fall — to drop
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bass — the fish
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — size or range
  17. key — for a lock
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ground — a position
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. fall — the season
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bass — the instrument

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