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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 116 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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. pitch — completely
  3. swing — to play on
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. key — in music
  7. key — for a lock
  8. swing — in golf
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. key — the most important part
  16. swing — music
  17. capital — money
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cap — a lid
  23. capital — a city
  24. cap — a hat

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