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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bear · mark · tear · game · key · coach · ground · firm

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. firm — a company
  4. key — the most important part
  5. tear — from crying
  6. game — a match
  7. bear — the animal
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bear — the animal
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. ground — the earth
  12. tear — to rip
  13. mark — a trace
  14. ground — a position
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. tear — from crying
  18. firm — decided
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. firm — steady
  21. mark — a grade
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. game — wild animals
  24. key — in music

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