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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cap — a hat
  5. bear — the animal
  6. key — the most important part
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. cap — a lid
  9. key — for a lock
  10. scale — in music
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. key — in music
  13. pop — music
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. pop — soda
  16. scale — size or range
  17. chair — a leader
  18. pop — to visit

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