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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 120 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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. club — for dancing
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. present — a gift
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. land — a country
  9. capital — money
  10. mine — for digging
  11. key — the most important part
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. present — the time now
  15. key — in music
  16. land — ground
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. present — there
  19. land — to come down
  20. capital — a city
  21. club — for golf
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. key — for a lock
  24. club — a group

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