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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 120 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stand · mug · racket · game · rock · content · ground · key

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. key — the most important part
  5. content — happy
  6. ground — the earth
  7. content — the amount
  8. mug — to rob
  9. stand — to bear
  10. mug — a face
  11. ground — a position
  12. mug — a cup
  13. key — in music
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. key — for a lock
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rock — music
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. ground — crushed
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. rock — a stone
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. game — a match

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