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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. cue — for pool
  6. key — for a lock
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. net — in sport
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. toast — bread
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. deal — to handle
  14. key — in music
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. net — for catching
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cue — a signal
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. capital — money
  21. net — after costs
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. key — the most important part

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