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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. ground — the earth
  3. key — the most important part
  4. spring — of water
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. ground — a position
  7. spring — a coil
  8. content — happy
  9. content — the amount
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. net — in sport
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. key — for a lock
  14. drill — a practice
  15. spring — the season
  16. ground — crushed
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. drill — the tool
  19. net — after costs
  20. drill — army training
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. net — for catching
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. content — videos and posts

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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