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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. pit — a hole
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — for a lock
  5. land — a country
  6. pit — in a race
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — employees
  9. cap — a lid
  10. land — to come down
  11. key — in music
  12. bank — for money
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. staff — a stick
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — to get on
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. land — ground
  20. bank — for money
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. bank — of a river
  23. cap — a hat
  24. pitch — a sports field

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