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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. key — the most important part
  3. prune — to trim
  4. rest — what's left
  5. ground — the earth
  6. rock — a stone
  7. charge — electricity
  8. ground — crushed
  9. charge — in control
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. band — a ring
  12. rest — a break
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. cap — a hat
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. charge — a price
  17. cap — of ice
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — in music
  20. band — a music group
  21. rest — what's left
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rock — music
  24. ground — a position

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