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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ground — a position
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. key — for a lock
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. key — in music
  9. swing — music
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. ground — crushed
  12. foot — a measure
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. swing — in golf
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. content — the amount
  22. swing — to play on
  23. key — the most important part
  24. content — happy

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