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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. key — in music
  3. swing — in golf
  4. key — the most important part
  5. current — happening now
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. tube — a container
  9. cap — a hat
  10. current — electric
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. swing — to play on
  13. key — for a lock
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — for pool
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. cue — a signal
  19. current — of water
  20. capital — money
  21. capital — a city
  22. swing — music
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. cap — a lid

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