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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: pop · season · safe · key · cap · cue · band · trunk

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. band — a music group
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — a lid
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. pop — soda
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. key — in music
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — the most important part
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. cap — of ice
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — of the year
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cue — a signal
  19. pop — to visit
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. band — a ring
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pop — music
  24. season — in sport

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