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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
468
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: kid · fan · pit · can · key · spring · cabinet · cap

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. cap — a hat
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. spring — a coil
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. can — a tin
  7. kid — child
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. key — the most important part
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — in a race
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. cap — a lid
  15. can — to be able to
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cap — of ice
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. can — a tin
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. spring — of water
  22. key — in music
  23. spring — the season
  24. kid — to tease

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