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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. key — for a lock
  3. swing — in golf
  4. capital — money
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. capital — a city
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. key — in music
  10. swing — music
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. swing — to play on
  13. race — the arms race
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. race — humankind
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. key — the most important part
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. race — a contest
  24. dip — to sink

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