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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  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 lid
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. saw — the tool
  4. suit — to fit
  5. cap — a hat
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. suit — in cards
  8. scale — size or range
  9. prune — to trim
  10. suit — clothes
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. prune — to trim
  13. board — a committee
  14. rash — hasty
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. rash — a series
  17. key — in music
  18. scale — in music
  19. board — to get on
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. key — the most important part
  22. saw — the tool
  23. cap — of ice
  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