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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. key — the most important part
  3. ground — crushed
  4. mark — a trace
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bank — for money
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a signal
  12. wound — an injury
  13. court — of a king
  14. ground — the earth
  15. bank — of a river
  16. court — for sport
  17. key — in music
  18. wound — an injury
  19. court — of law
  20. cue — a hint
  21. foot — a measure
  22. bank — for money
  23. mark — a grade
  24. key — for a lock

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