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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. key — the most important part
  3. wound — an injury
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. ground — crushed
  6. present — the time now
  7. wound — an injury
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. key — for a lock
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. present — a gift
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. key — in music
  15. present — there
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — the earth
  18. racket — for tennis

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