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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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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: ball · ground · wound · jam · root · cue · can · key

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  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. key — for a lock
  2. ground — the earth
  3. root — of a word
  4. ground — a position
  5. ball — a great time
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. ground — crushed
  10. can — a tin
  11. root — the cause
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. can — a tin
  14. ball — a dance
  15. key — the most important part
  16. can — to be able to
  17. wound — an injury
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a signal
  20. wound — an injury
  21. cue — a hint
  22. root — of a plant
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  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