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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mark — a trace
  4. key — the most important part
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. firm — decided
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lean — to bend
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. wound — an injury
  12. lean — thin
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. key — in music
  16. key — for a lock
  17. firm — a company
  18. mark — a grade
  19. wound — an injury
  20. land — ground
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. land — a country
  23. land — to come down
  24. firm — steady

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