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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. land — ground
  3. key — the most important part
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. key — in music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. land — a country
  8. pop — to visit
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — to eat
  11. plane — a tool
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. pop — music
  14. ground — the earth
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. pop — soda
  17. ground — crushed
  18. land — to come down

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