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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 120 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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. ground — crushed
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. key — in music
  5. track — a song
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — the most important part
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. net — for catching
  13. track — a path
  14. ground — a position
  15. net — in sport
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. ground — the earth
  18. kid — to tease
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. track — to keep track
  22. net — after costs
  23. pitch — completely
  24. kid — child

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