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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: rule · key · cabinet · land · bay · pit · fine · wax

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — government
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. pit — in a race
  9. rule — a law
  10. key — the most important part
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — high quality
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. land — ground
  15. pit — a hole
  16. key — in music
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — to grow
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. land — a country
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. land — to come down
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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