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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pound — a weight
  5. fine — all right
  6. ground — a position
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — the time now
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. land — a country
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — in music
  13. race — the arms race
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. ground — crushed
  16. present — there
  17. fine — high quality
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. land — to come down
  20. race — humankind
  21. key — for a lock
  22. land — ground
  23. race — a contest
  24. racket — for tennis

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