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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. chest — a box
  3. cap — of ice
  4. can — to be able to
  5. key — in music
  6. key — the most important part
  7. can — a tin
  8. chest — of your body
  9. ball — a dance
  10. date — the fruit
  11. march — music
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. march — the month
  17. mark — a grade
  18. can — a tin
  19. chest — of your body
  20. cap — a hat
  21. march — the month
  22. ball — a great time
  23. cap — a lid
  24. mark — a trace

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