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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 116 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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. mark — a grade
  3. charge — a price
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. land — to come down
  6. charge — electricity
  7. capital — a city
  8. charge — in control
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. mark — a trace
  11. land — a country
  12. key — for a lock
  13. capital — money
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. rule — government
  17. land — ground
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. rule — a law
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. key — in music
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — in a road
  24. wave — with your hand

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