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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. swing — music
  4. sharp — clever
  5. key — for a lock
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. swing — in golf
  8. saw — the tool
  9. key — the most important part
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. staff — employees
  12. swing — to play on
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — a stick
  15. saw — the tool
  16. ball — a dance
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. ground — the earth
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. craft — boats
  21. ball — a great time
  22. key — in music
  23. ground — a position
  24. craft — a skill

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