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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. key — the most important part
  3. mark — a grade
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. stand — to bear
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. ground — the earth
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. key — in music
  12. ground — crushed
  13. present — there
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. present — the time now
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. mug — to rob
  18. ground — a position
  19. mark — a trace
  20. present — a gift
  21. can — to be able to
  22. key — for a lock
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. mug — a face

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