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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. rule — government
  3. cap — of ice
  4. pound — a weight
  5. wake — a trail
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — the most important part
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. dip — to sink
  23. key — in music
  24. rule — a law

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