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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — in music
  3. mug — a face
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. ground — crushed
  6. mug — to rob
  7. key — the most important part
  8. stand — to bear
  9. present — a gift
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. present — the time now
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bulb — for light
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — the earth
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pit — a hole
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. present — there

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