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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: deal · pop · dip · rule · cap · mine · key · land

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. key — the most important part
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. land — a country
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. land — to come down
  7. key — in music
  8. key — for a lock
  9. pop — to visit
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. rule — government
  12. pop — music
  13. cap — a lid
  14. rule — a law
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. cap — a hat
  17. pop — soda
  18. dip — to sink
  19. deal — to handle
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. land — ground
  23. mine — for digging
  24. deal — a big deal

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