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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: content · club · face · bay · cabinet · key · cap · board

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. board — to get on
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. key — for a lock
  6. club — a group
  7. board — a committee
  8. club — for golf
  9. content — the amount
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. cap — a hat
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. key — in music
  19. face — to point toward
  20. key — the most important part
  21. content — happy
  22. cap — a lid
  23. face — part of the head
  24. content — videos and posts

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