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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 116 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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. key — the most important part
  3. ground — the earth
  4. key — in music
  5. staff — employees
  6. can — to be able to
  7. spell — a short time
  8. staff — employees
  9. mine — for digging
  10. can — a tin
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. key — for a lock
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. spell — magic
  15. staff — a stick
  16. can — a tin
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. spell — letters
  19. ground — crushed
  20. file — a document
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. file — a tool
  23. file — a line of people
  24. branch — a division

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