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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. ground — crushed
  3. root — of a plant
  4. cue — for pool
  5. last — final
  6. last — finally
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. key — for a lock
  9. cue — a signal
  10. root — of a word
  11. file — a document
  12. deal — to handle
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — a weight
  15. key — in music
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. ground — the earth
  18. file — a line of people
  19. key — the most important part
  20. file — a tool
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. root — the cause
  23. cue — a hint
  24. ground — a position

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