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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. key — in music
  3. court — for sport
  4. ground — crushed
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. key — the most important part
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — a weight
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bat — the animal
  13. court — of a king
  14. object — to protest
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. object — a thing
  17. perch — the fish
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. ground — a position
  20. court — of law
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. key — for a lock
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. object — an aim

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