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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: spell · bass · scale · pitch · fan · kid · key · board

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. board — to get on
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bass — low music
  5. scale — size or range
  6. spell — magic
  7. kid — child
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. key — in music
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. spell — letters
  13. key — the most important part
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — completely
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. key — for a lock
  19. scale — in music
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. bass — the fish
  23. kid — to tease
  24. board — a committee

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