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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. key — the most important part
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. ground — the earth
  7. row — to paddle
  8. date — the fruit
  9. tube — the underground
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. row — a line
  12. toast — bread
  13. capital — money
  14. key — in music
  15. capital — a city
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. key — for a lock
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. ground — crushed
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — a container
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. date — on the calendar

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