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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. capital — a city
  3. net — for catching
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rush — hurry
  9. key — the most important part
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. capital — money
  12. net — in sport
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. net — after costs
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. rest — a break
  17. land — a country
  18. pitch — completely
  19. rest — what's left
  20. stand — to bear
  21. key — in music
  22. land — ground
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. land — to come down

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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