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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 116 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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. key — in music
  4. scale — in music
  5. cell — a phone
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. tube — a container
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cap — a hat
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. key — for a lock
  12. cap — a lid
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. tube — the underground
  15. cap — of ice
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cell — in biology
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. scale — size or range
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. key — the most important part

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