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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: track · chip · straw · ground · key · bat · mug · rest

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. key — in music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. mug — to rob
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bat — the animal
  8. track — to keep track
  9. rest — what's left
  10. track — a path
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. ground — the earth
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. mug — a face
  16. ground — a position
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mug — a cup
  19. rest — a break
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. chip — to eat
  23. track — a song
  24. straw — a straw man

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