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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. key — for a lock
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mug — to rob
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. track — a path
  7. land — a country
  8. track — a song
  9. mug — a face
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. ground — a position
  12. key — the most important part
  13. land — ground
  14. key — in music
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mug — a cup
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. prune — to trim
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. track — to keep track
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ground — the earth

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