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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: bat · bowl · mine · wave · ground · deal · key · object

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. object — to protest
  5. key — for a lock
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. key — in music
  8. ground — a position
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ground — crushed
  12. object — a thing
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. object — an aim
  23. bat — the animal
  24. key — the most important part

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