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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. key — the most important part
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. ground — a position
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. land — ground
  7. pass — a permit
  8. key — for a lock
  9. ground — crushed
  10. court — of law
  11. land — a country
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. ground — the earth
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. snap — to click
  17. land — to come down
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. court — of a king
  20. key — in music
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. court — for sport
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — a trainer

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