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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: can · bowl · capital · lash · kid · foot · rock · key

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. can — to be able to
  3. rock — a stone
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. capital — a city
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. key — in music
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. rock — music
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. kid — to tease
  15. kid — child
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. key — for a lock
  19. can — a tin
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. key — the most important part
  23. capital — money
  24. can — a tin

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