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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: key · cap · root · field · dip · stock · cabinet · craft

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. stock — goods
  3. cap — a hat
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — in music
  7. cap — a lid
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. dip — to sink
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. field — a subject
  13. cap — of ice
  14. field — for sport
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. root — the cause
  17. craft — a skill
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. root — of a plant
  20. stock — shares
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. field — farmland
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. root — of a word

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