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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. rule — government
  3. key — in music
  4. drill — the tool
  5. fine — high quality
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. drill — a practice
  9. squash — the sport
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. capital — a city
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — the most important part
  15. capital — money
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fine — all right
  18. squash — to crush
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. rule — a law
  21. drill — army training
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. squash — the vegetable

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