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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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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. key — for a lock
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — the cause
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bear — the animal
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. key — the most important part
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bear — the animal
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. key — in music
  22. chip — for betting
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. pound — a weight

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