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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. ground — the earth
  3. current — electric
  4. cold — an illness
  5. current — of water
  6. bank — of a river
  7. key — for a lock
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bank — for money
  12. current — happening now
  13. cold — not warm
  14. key — in music
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. ground — crushed
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. ground — a position
  24. bank — for money

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