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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.

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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: chest · capital · key · fan · race · pop · bowl · suit

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. suit — clothes
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. chest — of your body
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. pop — soda
  9. capital — a city
  10. chest — of your body
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. capital — money
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pop — music
  16. suit — to fit
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. suit — in cards
  19. race — a contest
  20. key — for a lock
  21. race — humankind
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. key — in music
  24. race — the arms race

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