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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: kid · firm · sharp · bowl · key · ground · bark · ruler

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. key — the most important part
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. sharp — clever
  9. firm — steady
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. firm — decided
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ground — a position
  16. key — in music
  17. kid — child
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. firm — a company
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bark — to shout
  22. kid — to tease
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. key — for a lock

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