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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. present — a gift
  3. fine — all right
  4. present — the time now
  5. rule — a law
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. key — the most important part
  9. tube — a container
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. key — in music
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. key — for a lock
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — the underground
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. capital — money
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — the fish
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rule — government
  22. capital — a city
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. present — there

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