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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. bass — low music
  3. key — for a lock
  4. march — the month
  5. board — to get on
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. march — the month
  8. craft — a skill
  9. craft — boats
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. march — music
  12. key — the most important part
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. cap — a hat
  16. rush — hurry
  17. bass — the fish
  18. cap — a lid
  19. stand — to bear
  20. board — a committee
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. key — in music

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