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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. key — for a lock
  4. firm — steady
  5. firm — a company
  6. capital — a city
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. staff — a stick
  9. land — a country
  10. firm — decided
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. staff — employees
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. staff — employees
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. key — the most important part
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. key — in music
  22. land — to come down
  23. capital — money
  24. mark — a trace

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