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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: capital · racket · staff · key · pass · fine · kid · rash

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. kid — to tease
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. staff — employees
  5. kid — child
  6. pass — a permit
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. key — for a lock
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. rash — hasty
  12. staff — employees
  13. fine — all right
  14. staff — a stick
  15. fine — high quality
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. capital — money
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — in music
  24. capital — a city

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