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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. net — after costs
  4. sharp — clever
  5. scale — size or range
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — for a lock
  9. cap — a lid
  10. rock — a stone
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. scale — in music
  16. cap — a hat
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. net — in sport
  21. key — in music
  22. snap — to click
  23. stem — to come from
  24. net — for catching

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