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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. firm — a company
  3. firm — decided
  4. land — a country
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. key — for a lock
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — ground
  9. bear — the animal
  10. firm — steady
  11. current — electric
  12. key — the most important part
  13. ground — the earth
  14. board — a committee
  15. ground — crushed
  16. board — to get on
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. current — happening now
  19. bear — the animal
  20. chip — to eat
  21. current — of water
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. chip — for betting
  24. key — in music

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