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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 120 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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. present — there
  3. present — a gift
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. key — the most important part
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. key — for a lock
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. capital — a city
  11. key — in music
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. capital — money
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. present — the time now

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