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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. key — the most important part
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mug — a cup
  6. key — for a lock
  7. track — to keep track
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. track — a song
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. track — a path
  13. key — in music
  14. capital — money
  15. capital — a city
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. row — a line
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. row — to paddle
  20. drill — the tool
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. drill — a practice
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mug — a face

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