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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: present · ground · straw · rash · game · key · capital · bay

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. capital — money
  3. rash — a series
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. ground — the earth
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. game — a match
  8. present — the time now
  9. key — in music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — crushed
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rash — hasty
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. capital — a city
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. present — a gift
  23. present — there
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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