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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 116 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 · lean · leaves · pit · rush · scale · court · cue

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. rush — hurry
  3. scale — size or range
  4. key — in music
  5. court — of law
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. pit — a hole
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. court — of a king
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. lean — thin
  14. cue — a hint
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. cue — a signal
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. scale — in music
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — for a lock
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. pit — in a race
  23. cue — for pool
  24. leaves — of a tree

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