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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. key — for a lock
  3. track — a path
  4. chip — for betting
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. capital — money
  8. key — the most important part
  9. chip — to eat
  10. fork — in a road
  11. can — a tin
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a song
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. pop — music
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. can — to be able to
  18. prune — to trim
  19. can — a tin
  20. key — in music
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pop — to visit
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. pop — soda

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