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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. key — the most important part
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. ground — a position
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. mark — a grade
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. last — final
  13. last — to go on
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. stem — to come from
  16. last — finally
  17. key — in music
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. key — for a lock
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. mark — a trace
  24. ground — crushed

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