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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — the most important part
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. staff — a stick
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. staff — employees
  10. saw — the tool
  11. capital — money
  12. saw — the tool
  13. fork — in a road
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — all right
  18. staff — employees
  19. pound — a weight
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. capital — a city
  24. fan — a supporter

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