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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. degree — from a university
  4. cap — of ice
  5. capital — a city
  6. key — the most important part
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. squash — to crush
  12. cap — a hat
  13. capital — money
  14. squash — the sport
  15. degree — temperature
  16. chip — for betting
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. degree — an amount
  19. key — for a lock
  20. tube — the underground
  21. key — in music
  22. tube — a container
  23. chip — to eat
  24. squash — the vegetable

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