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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: lash · bulb · club · march · cap · current · key · track

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. track — a song
  3. key — in music
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. bulb — for light
  6. march — music
  7. track — a path
  8. club — a group
  9. key — for a lock
  10. march — the month
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bulb — for light
  13. current — happening now
  14. club — for golf
  15. march — the month
  16. current — of water
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. cap — a lid
  19. current — electric
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. club — for dancing
  22. track — to keep track
  23. cap — of ice
  24. key — the most important part

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