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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. club — a group
  6. firm — steady
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. key — for a lock
  9. court — of law
  10. toast — bread
  11. cold — not warm
  12. key — the most important part
  13. firm — decided
  14. club — for golf
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. court — of a king
  17. firm — a company
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. cold — an illness
  20. court — for sport
  21. key — in music
  22. club — for dancing
  23. capital — money
  24. capital — a city

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