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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 116 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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. track — a song
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bore — to drill
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. key — in music
  8. key — for a lock
  9. cap — a lid
  10. suit — clothes
  11. fall — the season
  12. bore — to tire
  13. suit — in cards
  14. track — a path
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. fall — to drop
  17. cap — a hat
  18. capital — money
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. capital — a city
  21. track — to keep track
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. fall — to drop
  24. cap — of ice

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