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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 116 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: safe · land · ball · shower · mug · bear · ground · key

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. ground — the earth
  3. mug — a face
  4. key — for a lock
  5. ball — a dance
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. key — in music
  9. land — to come down
  10. ground — a position
  11. mug — a cup
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. land — ground
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. key — the most important part
  17. bear — the animal
  18. shower — rain
  19. mug — to rob
  20. ball — a great time
  21. land — a country
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. shower — to wash

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