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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. can — a tin
  4. key — for a lock
  5. can — to be able to
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. can — a tin
  8. cue — for pool
  9. capital — a city
  10. spell — a short time
  11. capital — money
  12. foot — a measure
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. spell — magic
  15. cue — a hint
  16. rest — what's left
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. cue — a signal
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. rest — a break
  21. spell — letters
  22. key — in music
  23. key — the most important part
  24. rest — what's left

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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