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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.

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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: scale · tear · jam · pass · key · cap · calf · hide

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. scale — in music
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. key — the most important part
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. cap — of ice
  8. key — for a lock
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. tear — from crying
  12. key — in music
  13. scale — size or range
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — a permit
  16. tear — to rip
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. cap — a lid
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. tear — from crying
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. calf — a young animal

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