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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. band — a ring
  3. capital — money
  4. firm — decided
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. pop — music
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. file — a line of people
  9. firm — a company
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. key — for a lock
  12. capital — a city
  13. pop — soda
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — in music
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pop — to visit
  19. band — a music group
  20. file — a tool
  21. lie — to recline
  22. deal — to handle
  23. firm — steady
  24. deal — a big deal

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