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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. object — an aim
  3. key — in music
  4. tube — the underground
  5. can — a tin
  6. court — of a king
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. can — to be able to
  9. wax — to grow
  10. capital — a city
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. present — the time now
  13. present — there
  14. present — a gift
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. key — for a lock
  17. tube — a container
  18. object — to protest
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. object — a thing
  21. court — of law
  22. court — for sport
  23. key — the most important part
  24. can — a tin

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