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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.

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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: mate · capital · rush · key · stick · spring · ball · suit

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. capital — money
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. ball — a great time
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. key — in music
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. mate — a friend
  10. key — for a lock
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. spring — a coil
  13. mate — a partner
  14. suit — clothes
  15. suit — in cards
  16. spring — of water
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. spring — the season
  19. suit — to fit
  20. rush — hurry
  21. capital — a city
  22. key — the most important part
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mate — to breed

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