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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · lean · bass · bear · cap · field · key · fine

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. cap — of ice
  3. field — for sport
  4. key — the most important part
  5. fine — all right
  6. field — farmland
  7. cap — a hat
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. key — for a lock
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. lean — to bend
  14. key — in music
  15. bass — the fish
  16. rule — a law
  17. lean — thin
  18. field — a subject
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rule — government
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. lean — to rest against

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