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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: ground · board · straw · spell · key · saw · stand · land

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. spell — letters
  3. ground — the earth
  4. key — the most important part
  5. land — a country
  6. spell — magic
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. key — for a lock
  10. saw — the tool
  11. board — to get on
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. land — to come down
  15. stand — to bear
  16. ground — a position
  17. board — a committee
  18. spell — a short time
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. key — in music
  22. ground — crushed
  23. land — ground
  24. saw — the tool

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