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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. cap — a hat
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. cap — of ice
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. key — in music
  7. key — the most important part
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. mark — a grade
  10. snap — to click
  11. scale — in music
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. squash — to crush
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. mark — a trace
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. scale — size or range
  20. squash — the sport
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. cap — a lid
  23. key — for a lock
  24. leaves — of a tree

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