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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: deal · march · game · leaves · club · mouse · key · capital

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. capital — money
  3. capital — a city
  4. club — for golf
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. club — for dancing
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. march — the month
  9. march — music
  10. deal — to handle
  11. march — the month
  12. key — the most important part
  13. club — a group
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. game — a match
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. game — wild animals
  19. key — in music
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. key — for a lock
  24. leaves — of a tree

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