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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: key · ruler · deal · lie · arm · club · race · capital

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. lie — to recline
  3. key — for a lock
  4. club — for golf
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. key — the most important part
  7. capital — a city
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. club — for dancing
  10. race — the arms race
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. race — humankind
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. race — a contest
  15. club — a group
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. key — in music
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. capital — money
  23. deal — to handle
  24. ruler — for measuring

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