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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 116 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. file — a tool
  3. season — of the year
  4. key — the most important part
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. pop — soda
  7. cap — a hat
  8. file — a document
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. key — in music
  11. pop — music
  12. can — a tin
  13. rule — government
  14. bank — for money
  15. file — a line of people
  16. bank — for money
  17. rule — a law
  18. cap — of ice
  19. can — a tin
  20. bank — of a river
  21. can — to be able to
  22. cap — a lid
  23. key — for a lock
  24. season — in sport

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