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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. clip — to cut
  3. game — a match
  4. clip — a video
  5. game — wild animals
  6. mark — a grade
  7. stand — to bear
  8. ground — the earth
  9. key — for a lock
  10. shower — rain
  11. key — the most important part
  12. ground — a position
  13. clip — for paper
  14. shower — to wash
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mark — a trace
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. ground — crushed
  20. key — in music
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. ruler — a monarch

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