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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. net — for catching
  4. firm — a company
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. key — in music
  7. key — the most important part
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. net — after costs
  10. toast — bread
  11. tear — from crying
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. key — for a lock
  15. tear — to rip
  16. capital — money
  17. lie — to recline
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — decided
  21. stem — to come from
  22. tear — from crying
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. net — in sport

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