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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. mark — a grade
  3. land — to come down
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. rock — a stone
  7. ground — crushed
  8. key — the most important part
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rock — music
  11. land — a country
  12. land — ground
  13. net — for catching
  14. key — in music
  15. mark — a trace
  16. net — after costs
  17. ground — the earth
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. key — for a lock
  20. net — in sport
  21. bear — the animal
  22. hand — help
  23. ground — a position
  24. hand — in cards

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