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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — in music
  4. mark — a trace
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. capital — money
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — after costs
  11. mark — a grade
  12. capital — a city
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — clever
  17. deal — to handle
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. net — in sport
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. key — the most important part

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