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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 keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. track — a path
  4. key — the most important part
  5. kick — in football
  6. key — for a lock
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. key — in music
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bound — obliged
  12. sharp — clever
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. track — a song
  15. bound — tied together
  16. capital — a city
  17. chair — a leader
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mug — a face
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. bound — certain
  24. capital — money

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