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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: hide · cap · fine · mate · key · pitcher · fork · stick

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. mate — a friend
  3. fine — all right
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. cap — a hat
  6. key — in music
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. key — for a lock
  9. mate — to breed
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. fine — high quality
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. fork — in a road
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. mate — a partner
  20. cap — of ice
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. cap — a lid
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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