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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: key · clip · rock · root · staff · ground · sharp · pound

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. ground — a position
  3. clip — to cut
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. rock — a stone
  7. sharp — clever
  8. staff — employees
  9. ground — crushed
  10. staff — employees
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a word
  13. rock — music
  14. root — of a plant
  15. pound — a weight
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. clip — for paper
  18. key — in music
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. clip — a video
  22. ground — the earth
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — for a lock

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