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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. key — in music
  3. roll — a list
  4. ball — a great time
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. capital — money
  7. key — the most important part
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. spring — a coil
  11. capital — a city
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. roll — a cake
  14. pitch — completely
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. charge — in control
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. spring — the season
  19. charge — a price
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. key — for a lock
  22. spring — of water
  23. charge — electricity
  24. ball — a dance

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