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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. capital — money
  3. court — of a king
  4. last — finally
  5. roll — a list
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. cell — a phone
  8. key — for a lock
  9. suit — to fit
  10. capital — a city
  11. roll — a cake
  12. court — for sport
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. cell — in biology
  15. court — of law
  16. last — final
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. suit — in cards
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. key — the most important part
  22. last — to go on
  23. suit — clothes
  24. key — in music

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