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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
468
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: nail · object · capital · dip · bay · shower · key · ground

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. key — for a lock
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. ground — the earth
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. dip — to sink
  13. object — to protest
  14. capital — money
  15. object — an aim
  16. ground — a position
  17. shower — rain
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. ground — crushed
  21. capital — a city
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — in music
  24. object — a thing

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