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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — in music
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. lie — to recline
  8. cap — a hat
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. key — for a lock
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. club — for golf
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. cap — of ice
  17. club — a group
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. club — for dancing
  21. chair — a leader
  22. date — the fruit
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. lie — an untruth

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