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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
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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: band · drill · suit · date · spell · capital · key · fork

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  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. band — a ring
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. spell — a short time
  4. key — the most important part
  5. capital — a city
  6. fork — in a road
  7. spell — letters
  8. drill — army training
  9. key — in music
  10. date — the fruit
  11. drill — the tool
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. suit — to fit
  14. drill — a practice
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — clothes
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. spell — magic
  20. key — for a lock
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. band — a music group
  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