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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: cap · cabinet · scale · land · stick · leaves · key · object

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. cap — of ice
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. object — to protest
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. key — for a lock
  8. object — an aim
  9. scale — in music
  10. land — a country
  11. cap — a hat
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. object — a thing
  14. key — in music
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. land — ground
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. scale — size or range
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. land — to come down
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. scale — for weighing

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