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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. mate — a friend
  3. spell — magic
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. key — the most important part
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. pitch — completely
  9. spell — letters
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. mate — to breed
  12. key — in music
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. mate — a partner
  15. roll — a cake
  16. charge — a price
  17. roll — a list
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. capital — money
  20. charge — electricity
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. charge — in control
  23. spell — a short time
  24. capital — a city

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