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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
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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: bear · degree · last · key · capital · rule · cabinet · toast

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. last — to go on
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. capital — money
  6. rule — government
  7. last — finally
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. toast — bread
  10. degree — temperature
  11. degree — from a university
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. key — in music
  15. degree — an amount
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. capital — a city
  18. key — the most important part
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. key — for a lock
  21. last — final
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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