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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. pop — to visit
  3. root — of a plant
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ball — a dance
  6. key — in music
  7. present — the time now
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. root — the cause
  10. band — a ring
  11. ground — the earth
  12. key — for a lock
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. band — a music group
  15. key — the most important part
  16. present — a gift
  17. root — of a word
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ground — a position
  21. present — there
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — music
  24. ball — a round shape

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