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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — in music
  4. rock — a stone
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rash — hasty
  10. chair — a leader
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. capital — a city
  17. key — the most important part
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. capital — money
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. rock — music
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. rash — a series

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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