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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.

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: key · fan · capital · drill · ground · safe · straw · chip

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. capital — money
  4. key — the most important part
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — the earth
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. capital — a city
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. ground — a position
  12. drill — a practice
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. chip — to eat
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. drill — the tool
  19. key — in music
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. chip — for betting
  22. drill — army training
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. capital — a big letter

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