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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. key — the most important part
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. pop — soda
  5. capital — a city
  6. can — a tin
  7. pop — music
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. race — the arms race
  11. key — for a lock
  12. mine — for digging
  13. capital — money
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. key — in music
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. toast — bread
  18. race — humankind
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. can — a tin
  21. pop — to visit
  22. race — a contest
  23. can — to be able to
  24. toast — the most admired

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