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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. capital — money
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — for a lock
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. drill — the tool
  8. tube — a container
  9. mug — a cup
  10. row — to paddle
  11. mug — a face
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. drill — a practice
  14. capital — a city
  15. drill — army training
  16. firm — a company
  17. board — to get on
  18. firm — steady
  19. key — in music
  20. board — a committee
  21. row — a line
  22. mug — to rob
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. firm — decided

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