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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. key — for a lock
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. pass — a permit
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. key — the most important part
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stock — goods
  9. key — in music
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. wound — an injury
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. mine — for digging

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