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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. spring — of water
  6. pass — a permit
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. spring — the season
  9. capital — a city
  10. key — for a lock
  11. toast — bread
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bound — certain
  15. capital — money
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. spring — a coil
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bound — tied together
  20. key — in music
  21. bound — obliged
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. pass — to succeed

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