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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: stock · cabinet · mug · cap · fine · key · roll · dip

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. fine — high quality
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — goods
  6. mug — a face
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. key — in music
  10. cap — of ice
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. key — for a lock
  13. roll — a cake
  14. mug — a cup
  15. dip — to sink
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. fine — all right
  18. stock — shares
  19. mug — to rob
  20. roll — a list
  21. key — the most important part
  22. cap — a lid
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. fine — a penalty

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