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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. key — for a lock
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. ground — a position
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. pit — in a race
  9. key — the most important part
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — in sport
  13. can — to be able to
  14. key — in music
  15. pop — to visit
  16. can — a tin
  17. pit — a hole
  18. net — for catching
  19. vault — a safe
  20. ground — crushed
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. can — a tin
  23. pop — music
  24. pop — soda

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