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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 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 · roll · lie · present · pit · rule

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. key — the most important part
  5. roll — a list
  6. cap — a hat
  7. present — there
  8. rule — government
  9. present — the time now
  10. key — in music
  11. present — a gift
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. lie — to recline
  15. pit — a hole
  16. rule — a law
  17. roll — a cake
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pit — in a race
  20. key — for a lock
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cap — a lid
  24. lie — an untruth

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