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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — in music
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. key — the most important part
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. capital — money
  11. capital — a city
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. fine — high quality
  15. board — a committee
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. kid — to tease
  19. board — to get on
  20. kid — child
  21. fork — in a road
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — all right

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