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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. game — wild animals
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — a position
  6. key — the most important part
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to bend
  9. ball — a dance
  10. key — in music
  11. land — to come down
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. key — for a lock
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. land — ground
  16. land — a country
  17. game — a match
  18. lean — to rest against

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