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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lie · rash · ground · mine · key · pitch · pitcher · snap

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. ground — the earth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. key — the most important part
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — hasty
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. ground — crushed
  14. key — for a lock
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — for digging
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. pitch — completely
  21. ground — a position
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. snap — to click
  24. key — in music

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