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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: net · scale · pop · key · roll · saw · chair · pitcher

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. saw — the tool
  3. key — for a lock
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. roll — a cake
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. pop — to visit
  9. scale — in music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. net — after costs
  15. roll — a list
  16. key — in music
  17. pop — soda
  18. chair — a leader
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pop — music
  21. net — for catching
  22. net — in sport
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — size or range

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