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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. key — for a lock
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — a position
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. mate — to breed
  8. spell — a short time
  9. mate — a partner
  10. key — in music
  11. roll — a cake
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — letters
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a grade
  17. key — the most important part
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. roll — a list
  20. bat — the animal
  21. mark — a trace
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. mate — a friend

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