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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. bank — of a river
  3. capital — a city
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. pitch — completely
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. object — to protest
  10. rest — what's left
  11. key — for a lock
  12. rash — a series
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. object — an aim
  16. bank — for money
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. capital — money
  20. key — in music
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. key — the most important part
  23. rash — hasty
  24. bank — for money

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