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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · key · wound · bay · rash · file · scale · mug

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. capital — money
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. wound — an injury
  5. rash — hasty
  6. mug — a cup
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. rash — a series
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. mug — to rob
  11. key — in music
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. capital — a city
  14. wound — an injury
  15. key — the most important part
  16. scale — size or range
  17. file — a document
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. file — a tool
  20. file — a line of people
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. scale — in music
  23. key — for a lock
  24. scale — for weighing

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