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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. key — the most important part
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. key — for a lock
  6. fork — in a road
  7. capital — money
  8. fine — all right
  9. lean — thin
  10. firm — steady
  11. lean — to bend
  12. capital — a city
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. key — in music
  18. drill — army training
  19. firm — decided
  20. drill — the tool
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. drill — a practice

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