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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: band · mug · content · squash · row · key · cabinet · nail

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. band — a music group
  3. key — in music
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. band — a ring
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. row — to paddle
  8. squash — to crush
  9. mug — a face
  10. key — for a lock
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. content — the amount
  15. squash — the sport
  16. row — a line
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. mug — to rob
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. content — happy
  22. mug — a cup
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. content — videos and posts

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