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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. ground — crushed
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bank — for money
  8. key — in music
  9. chest — of your body
  10. present — a gift
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bank — for money
  13. present — there
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bank — of a river
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. present — the time now
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — a position
  22. chest — a box
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bat — the animal

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