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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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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: staff · capital · firm · cabinet · band · net · bear · key

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. band — a music group
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. staff — employees
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — a company
  7. key — the most important part
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. key — in music
  11. capital — money
  12. capital — a city
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. firm — steady
  15. band — a ring
  16. staff — employees
  17. net — after costs
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bear — the animal
  21. net — in sport
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. key — for a lock
  24. net — for catching

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