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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 116 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. key — the most important part
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. suit — in cards
  6. rash — a series
  7. capital — money
  8. capital — a city
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. suit — clothes
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. pop — to visit
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. suit — to fit
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. key — in music
  20. cell — a phone
  21. rash — hasty
  22. pop — music
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. cell — in biology

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