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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — a position
  4. game — a match
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. prune — to trim
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. rule — government
  11. prune — to trim
  12. wax — to grow
  13. can — a tin
  14. key — the most important part
  15. ground — crushed
  16. rule — a law
  17. can — a tin
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. can — to be able to
  23. key — for a lock
  24. key — in music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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