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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 walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. key — the most important part
  3. content — the amount
  4. swing — in golf
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. pop — soda
  7. file — a tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. key — in music
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. swing — music
  12. pop — music
  13. saw — the tool
  14. lie — to recline
  15. key — for a lock
  16. file — a document
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. capital — money
  19. capital — a city
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. content — happy
  22. pop — to visit
  23. swing — to play on
  24. saw — the tool

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