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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: squash · wake · chip · staff · ground · key · lie · rock

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. squash — the sport
  3. ground — a position
  4. staff — a stick
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. ground — crushed
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. lie — to recline
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rock — music
  15. wake — a trail
  16. ground — the earth
  17. staff — employees
  18. squash — to crush
  19. key — the most important part
  20. staff — employees
  21. key — for a lock
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — a stone
  24. wake — before a funeral

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