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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: ground · bear · chip · bay · mine · key · bowl · dip

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. ground — the earth
  5. ground — a position
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bear — the animal
  15. key — in music
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. mine — for digging
  19. ground — crushed
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. dip — to sink
  23. chip — for betting
  24. mine — an explosive

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