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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 120 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
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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: key · bark · ground · lie · snap · pitcher · game · pass

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. ground — a position
  3. key — the most important part
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. ground — crushed
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. game — a match
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bark — to shout
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. pass — a permit
  15. game — wild animals
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. key — in music
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. key — for a lock
  24. snap — to click

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