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

Word bank: pound · mug · kid · prune · straw · root · key · toast

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  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. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mug — to rob
  5. key — for a lock
  6. root — of a plant
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. key — in music
  11. mug — a cup
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. root — of a word
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. root — the cause
  17. toast — bread
  18. kid — child
  19. pound — a weight
  20. kid — to tease
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. key — the most important part
  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