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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: snap · firm · key · capital · leaves · track · mouse · chair

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. key — for a lock
  3. firm — a company
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. firm — decided
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. key — in music
  10. track — a path
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. capital — a city
  13. track — to keep track
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. chair — a leader
  16. snap — to click
  17. track — a song
  18. key — the most important part
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. capital — money
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. firm — steady

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