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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. rest — a break
  3. rush — hurry
  4. charge — electricity
  5. key — in music
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. capital — money
  8. rest — what's left
  9. wound — an injury
  10. deal — to handle
  11. charge — in control
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. wound — an injury
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. capital — a city
  20. key — the most important part
  21. rest — what's left
  22. charge — a price
  23. key — for a lock
  24. capital — a big letter

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