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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bat — the animal
  5. kid — to tease
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. capital — money
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. capital — a city
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — to eat
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. squash — to crush
  17. key — in music
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. squash — the sport
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. kid — child
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bat — in an idiom

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