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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.

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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. cap — of ice
  3. game — wild animals
  4. ground — crushed
  5. key — for a lock
  6. face — to point toward
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. key — the most important part
  10. ground — the earth
  11. face — to confront
  12. hand — help
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. hand — in cards
  15. ground — a position
  16. face — part of the head
  17. cap — a lid
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. key — in music
  20. cap — a hat
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. game — a match
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. game — a kind of play

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