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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. club — for dancing
  5. rush — hurry
  6. capital — a city
  7. spring — the season
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — in music
  11. spring — a coil
  12. club — for golf
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. key — for a lock
  15. suit — in cards
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to click
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. capital — money
  21. spring — of water
  22. club — a group
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — clothes

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