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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. ground — crushed
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. ground — a position
  5. pass — a permit
  6. key — the most important part
  7. ground — the earth
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. foot — a measure
  11. key — in music
  12. land — ground
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — to handle
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. land — to come down
  23. key — for a lock
  24. foot — part of the body

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