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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. key — for a lock
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. key — in music
  5. wound — an injury
  6. suit — in cards
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. suit — clothes
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. ground — the earth
  11. prune — to trim
  12. land — to come down
  13. prune — to trim
  14. key — the most important part
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. row — a line
  18. land — a country
  19. row — to paddle
  20. suit — to fit
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. ground — a position
  24. land — ground

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