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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ball — a dance
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — after costs
  5. key — for a lock
  6. drill — the tool
  7. net — in sport
  8. ground — a position
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. drill — a practice
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. foot — a measure
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. drill — army training
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — in music
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ball — a great time
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. ball — a round shape

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