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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. key — for a lock
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. suit — to fit
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. key — in music
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rash — a series
  10. capital — a city
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — army training
  13. suit — clothes
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. drill — the tool
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rash — hasty
  20. key — the most important part
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. suit — in cards
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rash — on the skin

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