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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. capital — money
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. row — to paddle
  8. key — in music
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. row — a line
  11. fine — high quality
  12. dip — to sink
  13. board — to get on
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. board — a committee
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. capital — a city
  23. stand — to bear
  24. key — for a lock

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