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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: capital · key · can · deal · cue · pop · file · fall

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. pop — to visit
  3. key — the most important part
  4. capital — money
  5. file — a tool
  6. cue — for pool
  7. can — a tin
  8. pop — soda
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. fall — to drop
  11. file — a line of people
  12. pop — music
  13. fall — the season
  14. cue — a hint
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. can — to be able to
  17. file — a document
  18. cue — a signal
  19. capital — a city
  20. deal — to handle
  21. key — for a lock
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. fall — to drop
  24. can — a tin

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