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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. suit — in cards
  3. object — an aim
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. rush — hurry
  7. march — the month
  8. suit — clothes
  9. capital — money
  10. key — for a lock
  11. march — the month
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. object — a thing
  14. capital — a city
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. suit — to fit
  18. object — to protest
  19. chair — a leader
  20. march — music
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. key — in music
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. chair — to sit on

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