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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: fine · court · pitcher · pass · present · cap · key · wind

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. court — of law
  4. cap — a hat
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. court — of a king
  9. present — the time now
  10. key — for a lock
  11. cap — a lid
  12. present — there
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. key — the most important part
  15. fine — all right
  16. cap — of ice
  17. key — in music
  18. wind — moving air
  19. fine — high quality
  20. court — for sport
  21. pass — a permit
  22. present — a gift
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. wind — moving air

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