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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: cap · file · toast · rock · ground · key · game · cell

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — a position
  4. cap — a hat
  5. file — a line of people
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. key — the most important part
  8. file — a tool
  9. toast — bread
  10. key — for a lock
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in biology
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. cap — of ice
  15. rock — music
  16. key — in music
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. game — wild animals
  19. rock — a stone
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. game — a match
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. ground — the earth
  24. cap — a lid

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