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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: game · key · pop · ruler · ground · wound · jam · bowl

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  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. pop — soda
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. ground — crushed
  4. game — wild animals
  5. ground — the earth
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. key — for a lock
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. pop — music
  12. wound — an injury
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ground — a position
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. key — in music
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. key — the most important part
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. game — a match
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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