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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — in music
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. saw — the tool
  5. clip — a video
  6. saw — the tool
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. capital — money
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — to bear
  14. roll — a cake
  15. roll — a list
  16. ball — a great time
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. ball — a dance
  19. key — the most important part
  20. clip — for paper
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. capital — a city
  24. clip — to cut

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