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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 120 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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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: capital · foot · wave · key · land · chair · cue · bay

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. land — a country
  4. key — in music
  5. cue — for pool
  6. key — for a lock
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. capital — money
  9. cue — a signal
  10. key — the most important part
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. cue — a hint
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. land — ground
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. capital — a city
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. land — to come down
  24. chair — a leader

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