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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: cap · key · bay · band · current · face · ground · jam

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. key — for a lock
  3. face — to confront
  4. ground — crushed
  5. current — electric
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. cap — a lid
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. cap — of ice
  11. ground — a position
  12. key — in music
  13. face — to point toward
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. key — the most important part
  16. current — happening now
  17. ground — the earth
  18. current — of water
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. cap — a hat
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a ring
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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