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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: bay · key · land · game · lie · fan · ground · bass

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. game — a match
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. ground — crushed
  10. game — wild animals
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bass — the fish
  13. ground — a position
  14. land — a country
  15. key — in music
  16. land — to come down
  17. bass — low music
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. key — the most important part
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. fan — a supporter

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