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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: mine · key · capital · degree · foot · saw · leaves · ball

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. ball — a great time
  4. capital — money
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. key — the most important part
  7. saw — the tool
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. degree — an amount
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. capital — a city
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. mine — for digging
  18. key — for a lock
  19. saw — the tool
  20. key — in music
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. degree — temperature
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. degree — from a university

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