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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 116 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. kid — to tease
  3. kid — child
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. key — the most important part
  7. ground — the earth
  8. saw — the tool
  9. can — a tin
  10. land — to come down
  11. net — for catching
  12. can — a tin
  13. land — a country
  14. ball — a great time
  15. land — ground
  16. ground — a position
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. ball — a dance
  20. key — for a lock
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. net — after costs
  23. can — to be able to
  24. net — in sport

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