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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
468
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: scale · game · drill · mark · charge · nail · key · content

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. key — for a lock
  4. drill — a practice
  5. scale — in music
  6. mark — a trace
  7. charge — in control
  8. key — in music
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. content — happy
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a match
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. charge — electricity
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. scale — size or range
  20. content — the amount
  21. charge — a price
  22. drill — the tool
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. drill — army training

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