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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. rock — a stone
  3. key — for a lock
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — music
  6. ground — the earth
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. perch — the fish
  9. key — in music
  10. track — a path
  11. track — to keep track
  12. press — to push
  13. ground — crushed
  14. press — a publisher
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. press — newspapers
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. track — a song
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. key — the most important part
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. pound — to hit hard

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