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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  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 — in music
  2. fall — the season
  3. march — music
  4. capital — a city
  5. chip — for betting
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. prune — to trim
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. capital — money
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. march — the month
  13. key — the most important part
  14. chip — to eat
  15. prune — to trim
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. fall — to drop
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. fall — to drop
  23. march — the month
  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