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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. file — a tool
  3. ground — crushed
  4. club — for golf
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. land — a country
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. ground — a position
  10. land — to come down
  11. land — ground
  12. club — a group
  13. ground — the earth
  14. key — in music
  15. club — for dancing
  16. key — for a lock
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a document
  19. deal — to handle
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. key — the most important part
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. deal — a big deal

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