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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. row — a line
  3. bound — obliged
  4. rule — government
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — in music
  7. bound — tied together
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bear — the animal
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bear — the animal
  14. stem — to come from
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bass — low music
  17. bound — certain
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. rule — a law
  22. capital — money
  23. bass — the fish
  24. key — for a lock

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