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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. capital — a city
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. key — the most important part
  7. rush — hurry
  8. key — for a lock
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. key — in music
  12. fine — high quality
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. capital — money
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. fine — all right
  18. jam — to spread on bread

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