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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 120 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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. wound — an injury
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a hat
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a match
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. key — the most important part
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. pass — a permit
  14. key — for a lock
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. wound — an injury
  19. swing — music
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. swing — in golf
  22. key — in music
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. swing — to play on

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