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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cap — of ice
  3. key — the most important part
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. band — a ring
  6. cap — a lid
  7. can — a tin
  8. rash — a series
  9. key — for a lock
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. can — to be able to
  16. rest — a break
  17. band — a music group
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chair — a leader
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. can — a tin
  22. rash — hasty
  23. cap — a hat
  24. key — in music

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