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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. scale — in music
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. rash — a series
  5. kick — in football
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. pop — to visit
  8. cap — a hat
  9. scale — size or range
  10. cap — of ice
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. pop — soda
  13. key — for a lock
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. key — in music
  16. content — happy
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. key — the most important part
  19. rash — hasty
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. pop — music
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. content — the amount

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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