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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. scale — in music
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. key — in music
  5. capital — money
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — of ice
  9. capital — a city
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. key — the most important part
  12. cap — a hat
  13. file — a line of people
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. scale — size or range
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. file — a tool
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. tube — the underground
  20. key — for a lock
  21. pit — a hole
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. tube — a container
  24. file — a document

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