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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 120 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: snap · content · can · key · file · mouse · ground · present

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  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. ground — the earth
  2. key — for a lock
  3. file — a line of people
  4. present — the time now
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. ground — crushed
  10. can — to be able to
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. content — happy
  13. content — the amount
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. file — a document
  16. can — a tin
  17. present — there
  18. present — a gift
  19. snap — to click
  20. file — a tool
  21. ground — a position
  22. can — a tin
  23. key — in music
  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