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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.

Make a worksheet

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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. key — the most important part
  3. sharp — clever
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. spring — the season
  6. ground — crushed
  7. spring — a coil
  8. dip — to sink
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — army training
  11. ground — the earth
  12. key — in music
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. ground — a position
  17. key — for a lock
  18. spring — of water

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