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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. cell — in biology
  3. capital — money
  4. key — in music
  5. cap — a lid
  6. rock — music
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. key — the most important part
  10. firm — steady
  11. capital — a city
  12. firm — decided
  13. ground — the earth
  14. toast — bread
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. firm — a company
  17. ground — crushed
  18. key — for a lock
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cell — a phone
  21. cap — a hat
  22. ground — a position
  23. rock — a stone
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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