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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. file — a document
  3. bear — the animal
  4. capital — a city
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. file — a line of people
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — a short time
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — for a lock
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. cue — a signal
  16. key — in music
  17. spell — letters
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. file — a tool
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. kid — child
  22. kid — to tease
  23. cue — for pool
  24. cue — a hint

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