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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: land · bark · cap · mouse · key · roll · ground · can

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. land — to come down
  4. can — to be able to
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cap — of ice
  7. roll — a list
  8. key — for a lock
  9. ground — the earth
  10. cap — a lid
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. cap — a hat
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ground — a position
  18. bark — to shout
  19. land — ground
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. roll — a cake
  22. key — in music
  23. land — a country
  24. key — the most important part

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