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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. content — happy
  3. suit — to fit
  4. key — the most important part
  5. rest — what's left
  6. march — music
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. content — the amount
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bank — for money
  13. key — in music
  14. rest — what's left
  15. march — the month
  16. suit — in cards
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. rest — a break
  19. bank — of a river
  20. cap — a lid
  21. bank — for money
  22. march — the month
  23. suit — clothes
  24. cap — a hat

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