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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. bear — the animal
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bear — the animal
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bass — the fish
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. capital — money
  9. key — in music
  10. dip — to sink
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. bass — low music
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. key — the most important part
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. cue — a hint
  23. key — for a lock
  24. capital — a big letter

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