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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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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: toast · press · foot · key · cap · capital · race · roll

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. key — for a lock
  4. toast — bread
  5. key — the most important part
  6. race — the arms race
  7. capital — money
  8. capital — a city
  9. foot — a measure
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — humankind
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. press — newspapers
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. press — a publisher
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — of ice
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. cap — a hat
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. roll — a cake
  23. roll — a list
  24. press — to push

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