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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. key — for a lock
  4. ground — crushed
  5. key — in music
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. key — the most important part
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — for digging
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. ground — a position
  18. season — in sport
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. season — of the year
  22. ground — the earth
  23. deal — to handle
  24. ruler — for measuring

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