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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. can — a tin
  3. firm — decided
  4. bound — certain
  5. key — in music
  6. capital — money
  7. firm — steady
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bound — tied together
  10. pitch — completely
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. ball — a great time
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. bat — the animal
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. capital — a city
  19. firm — a company
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bound — obliged
  22. key — the most important part
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — to be able to

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