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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. squash — to crush
  3. key — the most important part
  4. rush — hurry
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bulb — for light
  12. key — for a lock
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — for golf
  15. key — in music
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. capital — a city
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bulb — for light
  22. club — a group
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bass — the fish

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