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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 116 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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Word bank
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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: firm · key · pop · sharp · clip · staff · bear · mine

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. bear — the animal
  3. staff — employees
  4. clip — a video
  5. staff — employees
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. key — for a lock
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bear — the animal
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. key — the most important part
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pop — music
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. clip — for paper
  16. firm — steady
  17. pop — soda
  18. firm — decided
  19. staff — a stick
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. clip — to cut
  22. mine — for digging
  23. firm — a company
  24. sharp — clever

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