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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.

Make a worksheet

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: stick · hand · lie · scale · pitcher · capital · key · arm

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. hand — help
  4. lie — to recline
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. capital — money
  8. capital — a city
  9. hand — in cards
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. scale — in music
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. scale — size or range
  17. key — in music
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. key — for a lock
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. arm — a part of something

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