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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — all right
  5. club — a group
  6. capital — money
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. key — for a lock
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. capital — a city
  13. key — the most important part
  14. club — for golf
  15. key — in music
  16. club — for dancing
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. capital — a big letter

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