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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.

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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.

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: wound · cap · court · cabinet · swing · key · ruler · stock

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cap — a hat
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. key — for a lock
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. wound — an injury
  8. court — for sport
  9. swing — to play on
  10. cap — of ice
  11. stock — goods
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. stock — shares
  14. court — of a king
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. key — in music
  17. court — of law
  18. wound — an injury
  19. swing — in golf
  20. cap — a lid
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. key — the most important part
  24. swing — 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