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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. key — the most important part
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. degree — from a university
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — of ice
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. court — for sport
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. degree — an amount
  14. degree — temperature
  15. key — for a lock
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — a division
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. foot — a measure
  22. court — of a king
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. court — of 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