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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. race — a contest
  4. object — a thing
  5. bore — to tire
  6. key — in music
  7. can — a tin
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mate — to breed
  13. capital — a city
  14. bore — to drill
  15. object — an aim
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. race — humankind
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. capital — money
  20. object — to protest
  21. race — the arms race
  22. mate — a friend
  23. key — the most important part
  24. mate — a partner

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