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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 116 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: firm · cabinet · cap · key · kick · land · staff · current

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. land — a country
  4. current — happening now
  5. land — ground
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. current — of water
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a hat
  11. key — in music
  12. staff — a stick
  13. cap — a lid
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. firm — steady
  17. staff — employees
  18. firm — a company
  19. current — electric
  20. key — the most important part
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. key — for a lock
  23. staff — employees
  24. land — to come down

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