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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 120 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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. key — in music
  5. cap — a hat
  6. key — the most important part
  7. cap — of ice
  8. stock — goods
  9. band — a ring
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. current — of water
  13. key — for a lock
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. current — happening now
  17. band — a music group
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — hasty
  20. current — electric
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. rash — a series
  23. stock — shares
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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