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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. chip — to eat
  3. key — for a lock
  4. band — a ring
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. chip — for betting
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. root — of a word
  10. key — the most important part
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. root — the cause
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. band — a music group
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. land — ground
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. root — of a plant
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. land — a country
  22. key — in music
  23. land — to come down
  24. straw — a straw man

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