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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: hide · key · game · pop · bay · bore · mug · ground

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a cup
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mug — a face
  6. bore — to tire
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. key — the most important part
  10. pop — music
  11. game — wild animals
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bore — to drill
  14. key — for a lock
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. game — a match
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. pop — soda
  21. key — in music
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. ground — the earth
  24. pop — to visit

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