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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. pop — soda
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bank — for money
  7. pop — music
  8. swing — in golf
  9. ground — a position
  10. swing — music
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bank — of a river
  14. swing — to play on
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. bark — to shout
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. key — in music
  19. cell — a phone
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. key — the most important part
  22. bank — for money
  23. ground — crushed
  24. cell — in a prison

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