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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 120 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. track — a song
  4. key — for a lock
  5. capital — a city
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. firm — steady
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. key — in music
  12. key — the most important part
  13. foot — a measure
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. track — to keep track
  16. capital — money
  17. season — in sport
  18. snap — to click
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. track — a path
  21. firm — decided
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. firm — a company
  24. season — of the year

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