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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. race — a contest
  5. mine — for digging
  6. capital — money
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. race — the arms race
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. capital — a city
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. key — the most important part
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. key — for a lock
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. roll — a cake
  21. roll — a list
  22. race — humankind
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. wax — in the ear

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