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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. ground — crushed
  3. land — a country
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. chip — for betting
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. can — a tin
  10. chip — to eat
  11. ground — a position
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — in music
  16. degree — temperature
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — from a university
  19. land — ground
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. land — to come down
  23. key — for a lock
  24. pass — a permit

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