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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: cap · bank · object · row · clip · key · mug · pitch

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bank — of a river
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. key — the most important part
  5. cap — a hat
  6. key — for a lock
  7. mug — a cup
  8. object — to protest
  9. row — a line
  10. bank — for money
  11. key — in music
  12. object — an aim
  13. clip — a video
  14. clip — for paper
  15. pitch — completely
  16. bank — for money
  17. row — to paddle
  18. clip — to cut
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. cap — of ice
  22. object — a thing
  23. cap — a lid
  24. mug — a face

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