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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 116 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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. key — for a lock
  4. pitch — completely
  5. key — the most important part
  6. face — part of the head
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. face — to point toward
  11. key — in music
  12. ground — crushed
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — of water
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. ground — a position
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. face — to confront
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. spring — a coil
  24. kick — in football

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