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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. season — in sport
  3. present — the time now
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. key — for a lock
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — there
  9. land — a country
  10. capital — money
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. rule — a law
  14. key — the most important part
  15. snap — to click
  16. land — ground
  17. land — to come down
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. key — in music
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. season — of the year
  24. rule — government

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