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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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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: straw · wake · chip · key · stick · net · last · ground

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. chip — to eat
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — in sport
  6. ground — a position
  7. key — for a lock
  8. last — final
  9. key — the most important part
  10. ground — the earth
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — a trail
  14. last — finally
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. ground — crushed
  17. key — in music
  18. chip — for betting
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. last — to go on
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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