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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. cap — a lid
  4. key — in music
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bore — to drill
  10. track — a song
  11. key — the most important part
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. track — a path
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. game — a match
  16. stock — goods
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. stock — shares
  19. bore — to tire
  20. cap — of ice
  21. capital — money
  22. cap — a hat
  23. key — for a lock
  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