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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 120 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. key — in music
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bass — the fish
  9. ground — crushed
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bass — low music
  13. bear — the animal
  14. land — ground
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. land — a country
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. ground — a position
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. stand — to bear
  22. ground — the earth
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. key — for a lock

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