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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: key · cap · stick · land · sharp · season · pop · deal

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. cap — a hat
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. land — a country
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pop — to visit
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. land — to come down
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — clever
  15. season — of the year
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — the most important part
  18. cap — of ice
  19. pop — soda
  20. land — ground
  21. deal — to handle
  22. cap — a lid
  23. season — in sport
  24. pop — music

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