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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. key — in music
  3. capital — money
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pound — a weight
  7. charge — electricity
  8. key — the most important part
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. charge — in control
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. key — for a lock
  19. charge — a price
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. rock — a stone
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. capital — a city

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