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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. track — a path
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. key — the most important part
  5. spring — the season
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. fine — high quality
  8. spring — a coil
  9. stand — to bear
  10. land — to come down
  11. key — for a lock
  12. ground — a position
  13. current — electric
  14. spring — of water
  15. ground — the earth
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. track — to keep track
  18. current — of water
  19. track — a song
  20. land — ground
  21. fine — all right
  22. current — happening now
  23. land — a country
  24. ground — crushed

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