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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. ground — a position
  4. cue — a signal
  5. wax — to grow
  6. bass — low music
  7. object — to protest
  8. ground — crushed
  9. object — a thing
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. staff — a stick
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — for betting
  16. bass — the fish
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. ground — the earth
  19. cue — for pool
  20. object — an aim
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — employees
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. wax — for sculpting

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