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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.

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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: key · stick · court · saw · squash · capital · rock · kick

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. key — for a lock
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. court — of law
  7. squash — the sport
  8. court — of a king
  9. capital — money
  10. kick — in football
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. rock — music
  13. capital — a city
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. court — for sport
  18. squash — to crush
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. key — in music

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