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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. capital — a city
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. capital — money
  11. rest — what's left
  12. key — the most important part
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. key — in music
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rest — a break
  19. roll — a list
  20. key — for a lock
  21. can — a tin
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. roll — a cake

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