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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: wound · track · key · foot · land · stick · ground · cap

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. wound — an injury
  4. foot — a measure
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — in music
  7. track — a path
  8. cap — of ice
  9. land — a country
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. track — to keep track
  12. land — to come down
  13. ground — crushed
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cap — a hat
  16. ground — a position
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. wound — an injury
  20. key — the most important part
  21. track — a song
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. cap — a lid
  24. land — ground

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