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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: rock · leaves · board · wave · race · capital · foot · key

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. key — in music
  3. key — the most important part
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. capital — money
  6. race — the arms race
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. key — for a lock
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — a stone
  11. board — to get on
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. race — humankind
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. board — a committee
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. foot — a measure
  22. race — a contest
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. wave — with your hand

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