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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ground · row · coach · firm · rest · key · cue · chip

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. firm — a company
  5. rest — what's left
  6. key — in music
  7. cue — a signal
  8. rest — a break
  9. firm — steady
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — the most important part
  13. ground — the earth
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. row — a line
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. ground — a position
  20. ground — crushed
  21. row — to paddle
  22. chip — for betting
  23. rest — what's left
  24. chip — to eat

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