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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. capital — a city
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. key — in music
  6. key — the most important part
  7. file — a document
  8. scale — in music
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. scale — size or range
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. file — a tool
  13. firm — decided
  14. capital — money
  15. season — of the year
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. file — a line of people
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. key — for a lock
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. firm — steady
  23. dip — to sink
  24. firm — a company

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