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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ground — a position
  3. shower — rain
  4. key — the most important part
  5. can — a tin
  6. fork — in a road
  7. key — for a lock
  8. cue — for pool
  9. net — after costs
  10. cap — a hat
  11. net — for catching
  12. can — a tin
  13. ground — crushed
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. can — to be able to
  16. shower — to wash
  17. cue — a hint
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. net — in sport
  20. key — in music
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cue — a signal

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