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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 120 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: sharp · ground · scale · season · object · key · hide · bass

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. season — in sport
  3. key — in music
  4. ground — crushed
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. ground — a position
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. ground — the earth
  10. scale — size or range
  11. key — the most important part
  12. season — of the year
  13. scale — in music
  14. object — to protest
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. object — an aim
  21. key — for a lock
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bass — low music
  24. hide — to keep secret

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