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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. cap — a lid
  4. key — for a lock
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. craft — boats
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. key — the most important part
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. scale — in music
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. scale — size or range
  17. key — in music
  18. cap — a hat
  19. mine — for digging
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. craft — a skill
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cap — of ice

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