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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: can · charge · pitcher · key · spring · face · ground · bay

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. key — for a lock
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — a position
  5. face — to confront
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. spring — of water
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. can — a tin
  10. spring — a coil
  11. charge — electricity
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — a price
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. ground — the earth
  17. key — in music
  18. face — to point toward
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. can — a tin
  21. face — part of the head
  22. key — the most important part
  23. spring — the season
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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