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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. key — for a lock
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. key — the most important part
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. object — a thing
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. key — in music
  10. capital — a city
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. object — an aim
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. capital — money
  16. fall — the season
  17. object — to protest
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — a grade
  22. fall — to drop
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. fall — to drop

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