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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. capital — money
  3. key — the most important part
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. wound — an injury
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. land — ground
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — a country
  15. pass — a permit
  16. key — in music
  17. rule — government
  18. perch — the fish
  19. key — for a lock
  20. capital — a city
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. wound — an injury
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. plane — a tool

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