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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. key — the most important part
  4. scale — size or range
  5. race — humankind
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. race — the arms race
  9. key — in music
  10. capital — money
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. scale — in music
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. can — a tin
  17. capital — a city
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. race — a contest
  22. can — to be able to
  23. stem — to come from
  24. key — for a lock

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