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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. branch — a division
  4. charge — in control
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. key — in music
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — a stone
  11. capital — money
  12. bass — the fish
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bass — low music
  15. vault — a safe
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. charge — a price
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. charge — electricity
  20. key — for a lock
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bass — the instrument

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