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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: deal · key · wound · ground · present · racket · leaves · fine

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. fine — high quality
  5. present — a gift
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — the earth
  8. present — there
  9. fine — all right
  10. key — the most important part
  11. ground — crushed
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. key — in music
  15. wound — an injury
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. wound — an injury
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. deal — to handle
  20. key — for a lock
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. present — the time now
  24. fine — a penalty

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