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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. staff — a stick
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. ground — crushed
  5. club — for golf
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. staff — employees
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. chip — for betting
  10. prune — to trim
  11. staff — employees
  12. ground — the earth
  13. club — for dancing
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — to eat
  16. club — a group
  17. prune — to trim
  18. ground — a position

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