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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: cell · mine · capital · mouse · can · key · nail · pit

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cell — in biology
  8. mine — for digging
  9. can — a tin
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. pit — in a race
  13. can — to be able to
  14. cell — a phone
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — for a lock
  18. pit — a hole
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. capital — a city
  22. key — in music
  23. can — a tin
  24. capital — money

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