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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: dip · scale · key · cap · march · swing · bear · suit

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. key — in music
  3. key — for a lock
  4. scale — size or range
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. dip — to sink
  8. key — the most important part
  9. march — the month
  10. bear — the animal
  11. cap — a lid
  12. swing — music
  13. march — music
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bear — the animal
  16. march — the month
  17. swing — to play on
  18. cap — a hat
  19. scale — in music
  20. suit — in cards
  21. swing — in golf
  22. suit — to fit
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. dip — a sauce

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