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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: saw · band · mug · content · key · foot · cap · capital

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. key — for a lock
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — of ice
  5. foot — a measure
  6. saw — the tool
  7. band — a ring
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — happy
  10. content — the amount
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mug — to rob
  13. key — the most important part
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. key — in music
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. cap — a hat
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. mug — a face
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — money
  23. band — a music group
  24. mug — a cup

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