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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. object — a thing
  4. key — the most important part
  5. swing — music
  6. object — an aim
  7. row — to paddle
  8. swing — in golf
  9. can — to be able to
  10. swing — to play on
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. can — a tin
  13. key — for a lock
  14. object — to protest
  15. row — a line
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mine — for digging
  18. capital — money
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. can — a tin
  23. capital — a city
  24. key — in music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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