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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. mark — a trace
  3. key — in music
  4. wound — an injury
  5. ground — a position
  6. object — to protest
  7. ground — crushed
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. object — a thing
  10. key — the most important part
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — soda
  13. degree — from a university
  14. swing — to play on
  15. mark — a grade
  16. key — for a lock
  17. degree — an amount
  18. ground — the earth
  19. wound — an injury
  20. swing — music
  21. object — an aim
  22. pop — music
  23. degree — temperature
  24. swing — in golf

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