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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. ground — crushed
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. board — a committee
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. key — for a lock
  10. ground — a position
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. pass — a permit
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. ground — the earth
  15. board — to get on
  16. key — in music
  17. foot — a measure
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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