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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. ground — a position
  3. key — the most important part
  4. present — there
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. pit — in a race
  7. ground — crushed
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. present — a gift
  11. ground — the earth
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. pit — a hole
  14. present — the time now
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. key — for a lock
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. deal — to handle

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