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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. bat — the animal
  3. mark — a trace
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wound — an injury
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. can — to be able to
  9. squash — to crush
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. can — a tin
  12. cap — a lid
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. key — for a lock
  16. wound — an injury
  17. key — the most important part
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. can — a tin
  20. cap — a hat
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. mark — a grade
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bat — in an idiom

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