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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: mark · firm · scale · board · ball · press · key · capital

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. board — a committee
  3. firm — decided
  4. mark — a trace
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — for a lock
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. ball — a great time
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. key — in music
  12. capital — a city
  13. ball — a dance
  14. mark — a grade
  15. board — to get on
  16. scale — size or range
  17. firm — a company
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. scale — in music
  20. firm — steady
  21. press — to push
  22. capital — money
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — newspapers

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