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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 · land · key · rock · swing · bowl · wax · pop

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  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. ground — the earth
  2. swing — to play on
  3. key — in music
  4. ground — crushed
  5. key — the most important part
  6. ground — a position
  7. land — a country
  8. swing — in golf
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. key — for a lock
  11. wax — to grow
  12. pop — music
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. land — ground
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. land — to come down
  19. swing — music
  20. pop — soda
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. rock — music
  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