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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. chip — for betting
  3. ground — crushed
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. stem — to come from
  9. wake — a trail
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. chip — to eat
  12. prune — to trim
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. prune — to trim
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — in music
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. ground — a position
  23. key — for a lock
  24. wake — before a funeral

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