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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. capital — a city
  5. key — for a lock
  6. mug — a face
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. key — the most important part
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — in a race
  12. mug — a cup
  13. scale — in music
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. cap — a lid
  17. key — in music
  18. mug — to rob
  19. capital — money
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. cap — of ice
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a ring
  24. cap — a hat

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