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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: present · capital · mouse · wake · drill · bore · racket · key

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. present — a gift
  3. drill — a practice
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. key — for a lock
  7. wake — a trail
  8. drill — the tool
  9. key — in music
  10. present — there
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bore — to tire
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. capital — money
  17. drill — army training
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. capital — a city
  21. present — the time now
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. capital — a big letter

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