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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. fine — all right
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. key — the most important part
  5. capital — a city
  6. rash — a series
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. scale — in music
  9. scale — size or range
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. rash — hasty
  13. key — in music
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. key — for a lock
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. wake — a trail
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. fine — high quality
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. capital — a big letter

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