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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: cap · suit · land · march · key · file · season · bear

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bear — the animal
  4. march — the month
  5. bear — the animal
  6. key — the most important part
  7. file — a line of people
  8. season — in sport
  9. suit — clothes
  10. file — a tool
  11. cap — a lid
  12. file — a document
  13. suit — to fit
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. cap — of ice
  16. land — to come down
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. season — of the year
  19. cap — a hat
  20. land — a country
  21. march — the month
  22. march — music
  23. key — for a lock
  24. land — ground

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