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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. ground — crushed
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. suit — in cards
  7. can — a tin
  8. mine — for digging
  9. ground — the earth
  10. key — for a lock
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. key — the most important part
  19. ground — a position
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. key — in music
  22. can — to be able to
  23. suit — clothes
  24. can — a tin

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