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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. key — in music
  3. land — a country
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. band — a ring
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. band — a music group
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. cap — a hat
  16. row — a line
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a lid
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. row — to paddle
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — ground
  23. key — for a lock
  24. key — the most important part

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