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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.

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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: bulb · staff · wake · bore · suit · board · key · capital

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bulb — for light
  3. key — for a lock
  4. staff — a stick
  5. capital — money
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. suit — to fit
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bore — to tire
  11. wake — a trail
  12. suit — in cards
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. board — a committee
  15. staff — employees
  16. board — to get on
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bore — to drill
  20. staff — employees
  21. bulb — for light
  22. key — in music
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. capital — a city

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