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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.

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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 · squash · bay · net · track · tube · scale · row

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. key — in music
  4. scale — size or range
  5. tube — a container
  6. key — the most important part
  7. row — to paddle
  8. net — for catching
  9. net — in sport
  10. track — to keep track
  11. net — after costs
  12. squash — the sport
  13. track — a path
  14. squash — to crush
  15. track — a song
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. row — a line
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. key — for a lock
  21. scale — in music
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — the underground

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