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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: key · capital · game · present · firm · cue · straw · net

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. capital — money
  3. key — in music
  4. net — after costs
  5. key — the most important part
  6. game — wild animals
  7. capital — a city
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. present — a gift
  10. net — in sport
  11. key — for a lock
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. cue — a hint
  14. firm — decided
  15. cue — for pool
  16. firm — a company
  17. present — the time now
  18. present — there
  19. firm — steady
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. game — a match
  23. net — for catching
  24. cue — a signal

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