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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
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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: rock · press · capital · wake · calf · scale · key · rule

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. scale — size or range
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. capital — a city
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. rule — a law
  9. rock — music
  10. scale — in music
  11. key — in music
  12. wake — a trail
  13. key — the most important part
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. press — to push
  17. rock — a stone
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. press — newspapers
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. capital — money
  23. key — for a lock
  24. rule — government

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