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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. club — for dancing
  3. capital — money
  4. bark — to shout
  5. capital — a city
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. spring — of water
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. can — a tin
  13. key — for a lock
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. spring — the season
  17. club — a group
  18. can — a tin
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. club — for golf
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. deal — to handle
  23. spring — a coil
  24. key — the most important part

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