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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. capital — a city
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. capital — money
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — a trail
  7. degree — from a university
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. tube — a container
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. fine — all right
  13. last — final
  14. degree — temperature
  15. key — in music
  16. tube — the underground
  17. last — finally
  18. fine — high quality
  19. last — to go on
  20. key — for a lock
  21. degree — an amount
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. tube — in a tire
  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