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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. mug — a face
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chest — of your body
  5. can — to be able to
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. capital — a city
  8. chest — a box
  9. key — the most important part
  10. game — a match
  11. chest — of your body
  12. game — wild animals
  13. key — for a lock
  14. rock — music
  15. mug — a cup
  16. can — a tin
  17. chip — for betting
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. mug — to rob
  20. chip — to eat
  21. capital — money
  22. can — a tin
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — to move gently

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