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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: kid · bear · key · pop · capital · wind · board · fan

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. board — to get on
  4. wind — moving air
  5. kid — to tease
  6. wind — moving air
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. key — the most important part
  9. capital — a city
  10. pop — music
  11. board — a committee
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. capital — money
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bear — the animal
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. kid — child
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. bear — the animal
  23. key — for a lock
  24. board — a flat piece

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