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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. object — a thing
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mine — for digging
  6. fall — the season
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mate — to breed
  9. object — an aim
  10. key — for a lock
  11. roll — a cake
  12. mate — a friend
  13. capital — a city
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. fall — to drop
  17. key — in music
  18. fall — to drop
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. object — to protest
  21. key — the most important part
  22. capital — money
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mate — a partner

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