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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: toast · rush · foot · fork · fan · staff · capital · key

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. staff — employees
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. capital — a city
  6. staff — a stick
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fork — in a road
  10. capital — money
  11. rush — hurry
  12. toast — bread
  13. key — for a lock
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. staff — employees
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. key — in music
  19. foot — a measure
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. foot — the bottom

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