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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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468
Word bank
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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. capital — money
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. capital — a city
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. perch — the fish
  14. key — for a lock
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. key — in music
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pound — a weight
  19. key — the most important part
  20. object — to protest
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. object — a thing

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