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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.

Make a worksheet

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: key · saw · bay · scale · mug · capital · current · cold

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. cold — not warm
  3. key — in music
  4. scale — in music
  5. saw — the tool
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — of water
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mug — a face
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. key — the most important part
  12. capital — a city
  13. scale — size or range
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. current — electric
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. mug — to rob
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. mug — a cup
  20. capital — money
  21. cold — an illness
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. key — for a lock

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