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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: march · cap · pit · cabinet · bay · mark · plane · key

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. mark — a trace
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. plane — a tool
  7. key — in music
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. key — the most important part
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. march — the month
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pit — in a race
  19. march — the month
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. march — music
  22. pit — a hole
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. key — for a lock

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