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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. content — happy
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. rule — a law
  8. ground — a position
  9. swing — in golf
  10. swing — to play on
  11. ground — crushed
  12. swing — music
  13. capital — a city
  14. sharp — clever
  15. key — in music
  16. content — the amount
  17. key — the most important part
  18. ground — the earth
  19. key — for a lock
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. capital — money
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. sharp — exactly

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