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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 116 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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. can — a tin
  3. march — the month
  4. suit — in cards
  5. march — the month
  6. key — for a lock
  7. suit — clothes
  8. key — in music
  9. march — music
  10. can — to be able to
  11. key — the most important part
  12. court — for sport
  13. suit — to fit
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — of law
  16. file — a line of people
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. can — a tin
  19. bass — the fish
  20. capital — a city
  21. file — a tool
  22. bass — low music
  23. file — a document
  24. capital — a big letter

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