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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. key — in music
  3. cell — a phone
  4. ground — crushed
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. roll — a cake
  7. key — the most important part
  8. can — a tin
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. key — for a lock
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. cell — in biology
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. can — to be able to
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. roll — a list
  19. pass — a permit
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. deal — to handle
  22. ground — a position
  23. can — a tin
  24. cell — in a prison

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