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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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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. race — the arms race
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. hand — in cards
  5. pop — to visit
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. stock — shares
  8. key — in music
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. key — for a lock
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. pop — music
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. key — the most important part
  15. hand — help
  16. race — humankind
  17. pop — soda
  18. race — a contest

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