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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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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. stem — to come from
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. cap — a lid
  5. tube — the underground
  6. key — for a lock
  7. cap — of ice
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. key — the most important part
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fine — high quality
  13. cap — a hat
  14. key — in music
  15. scale — in music
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fine — all right
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. tube — a container
  20. snap — to click
  21. scale — size or range
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. stem — of a plant

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