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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: straw · key · deal · rule · capital · mate · track · rush

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. rush — hurry
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. deal — to handle
  8. track — to keep track
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. capital — a city
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — in music
  14. track — a song
  15. rule — a law
  16. mate — a friend
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. rule — government
  20. key — the most important part
  21. track — a path
  22. capital — money
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — to breed

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