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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bass · rock · key · row · cap · fan · mug · cell

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cell — a phone
  3. mug — a cup
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cell — in biology
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — a stone
  9. row — a line
  10. key — in music
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. rock — music
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — for a lock
  17. mug — a face
  18. bass — the fish
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. cap — a hat
  21. mug — to rob
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — low music
  24. row — to paddle

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