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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. tube — a container
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. tube — the underground
  7. key — the most important part
  8. pop — soda
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a friend
  12. key — in music
  13. capital — a city
  14. key — for a lock
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. object — to protest
  17. pop — music
  18. capital — money
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mate — a partner
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. object — a thing
  24. pop — to visit

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