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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: cabinet · ground · bank · press · bay · key · squash · cap

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. key — the most important part
  4. ground — crushed
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bank — for money
  7. cap — a hat
  8. ground — a position
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bank — of a river
  11. key — for a lock
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bank — for money
  16. press — newspapers
  17. squash — to crush
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. squash — the sport
  20. key — in music
  21. cap — of ice
  22. ground — the earth
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — to push

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