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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.

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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. object — to protest
  3. ground — crushed
  4. toast — bread
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. ground — the earth
  8. object — an aim
  9. key — for a lock
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. key — in music
  13. land — to come down
  14. object — a thing
  15. ground — a position
  16. key — the most important part
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. land — ground

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