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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. scale — size or range
  5. rock — a stone
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. court — of law
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. cap — of ice
  13. rock — music
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. key — in music
  16. court — of a king
  17. cap — a lid
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. court — for sport
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. key — the most important part
  24. scale — 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