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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: key · bound · press · scale · cue · suit · deal · calf

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. cue — a signal
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. press — a publisher
  5. suit — to fit
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. press — to push
  9. key — the most important part
  10. press — newspapers
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bound — certain
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bound — tied together
  15. scale — size or range
  16. suit — in cards
  17. bound — obliged
  18. deal — to handle
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. suit — clothes
  21. cue — a hint
  22. key — in music
  23. scale — in music
  24. scale — for weighing

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