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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 120 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: arm · ball · key · pound · fine · drill · game · cap

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. fine — high quality
  4. drill — the tool
  5. ball — a great time
  6. key — for a lock
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. key — the most important part
  9. fine — all right
  10. game — wild animals
  11. drill — army training
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. cap — a lid
  14. pound — a weight
  15. drill — a practice
  16. cap — of ice
  17. game — a match
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. key — in music
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. ball — a dance
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. game — a kind of play

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