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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 a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — in music
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. net — for catching
  8. cap — a lid
  9. hand — help
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. wound — an injury
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. net — after costs
  14. cap — of ice
  15. pass — a permit
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. wound — an injury
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. net — in sport
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. hand — in cards
  24. key — for a lock

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