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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 116 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: mine · mark · chip · mate · content · sharp · capital · key

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. sharp — clever
  3. capital — a city
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — the most important part
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mate — a friend
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. key — in music
  11. content — the amount
  12. mate — to breed
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. chip — for betting
  17. content — happy
  18. chip — to eat
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. capital — money

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