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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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. ground — crushed
  4. key — for a lock
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. game — wild animals
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. present — a gift
  10. tube — the underground
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. key — in music
  15. game — a match
  16. scale — in music
  17. present — there
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. present — the time now
  21. key — the most important part
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. sharp — clever
  24. tube — a container

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