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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: roll · spring · capital · rush · fine · key · chair · trunk

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. capital — a city
  5. chair — a leader
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. capital — money
  10. spring — a coil
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. spring — of water
  15. fine — high quality
  16. key — the most important part
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. fine — all right
  19. roll — a list
  20. roll — a cake
  21. spring — the season
  22. key — for a lock
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. chair — a professorship

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