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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 116 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: ground · perch · deal · craft · fall · drill · key · land

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. drill — army training
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. craft — boats
  5. land — to come down
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. land — a country
  8. ground — a position
  9. fall — the season
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. key — for a lock
  12. drill — the tool
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. drill — a practice
  15. ground — the earth
  16. fall — to drop
  17. land — ground
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. fall — to drop
  20. perch — the fish
  21. craft — a skill
  22. key — in music
  23. ground — crushed
  24. deal — to handle

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