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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. key — the most important part
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — of water
  8. key — in music
  9. cap — a lid
  10. can — to be able to
  11. drill — a practice
  12. band — a music group
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. spring — the season
  15. drill — the tool
  16. cap — a hat
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. drill — army training
  19. can — a tin
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cap — of ice
  22. key — for a lock
  23. band — a ring
  24. can — a tin

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