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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. capital — a city
  3. key — the most important part
  4. capital — money
  5. club — for golf
  6. rule — government
  7. rule — a law
  8. key — for a lock
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. object — an aim
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — to protest
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. club — for dancing
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. club — a group
  22. key — in music
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. nail — for a hammer

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