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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. key — for a lock
  6. capital — money
  7. rest — what's left
  8. swing — music
  9. swing — in golf
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. key — in music
  17. capital — a city
  18. bay — to keep at bay

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