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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. present — there
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — to sink
  6. key — in music
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — an injury
  10. present — the time now
  11. capital — a city
  12. capital — money
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. present — a gift
  15. mug — a cup
  16. swing — music
  17. mug — a face
  18. key — for a lock
  19. mug — to rob
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. swing — to play on
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. key — the most important part
  24. swing — in golf

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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