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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: pitcher · capital · rest · key · chair · pass · spell · branch

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. rest — what's left
  6. spell — a short time
  7. key — the most important part
  8. spell — magic
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. rest — what's left
  11. capital — money
  12. key — in music
  13. chair — a leader
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. spell — letters
  16. branch — a division
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. rest — a break
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. capital — a city
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pitcher — a jug

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