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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — to handle
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. key — for a lock
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. pop — soda
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. hand — in cards
  11. suit — clothes
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — in music
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — help
  16. pop — music
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. capital — a city
  21. pop — to visit
  22. suit — in cards
  23. capital — money
  24. suit — to fit

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