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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: fine · dip · face · pitcher · key · saw · cap · bank

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. cap — of ice
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. key — the most important part
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cap — a hat
  8. saw — the tool
  9. key — in music
  10. cap — a lid
  11. bank — for money
  12. fine — all right
  13. dip — to sink
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bank — for money
  16. face — to confront
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. key — for a lock
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bank — of a river
  22. fine — high quality
  23. face — to point toward
  24. face — part of the head

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