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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. ground — a position
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. key — the most important part
  8. stock — shares
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kick — in football
  12. stock — goods
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. key — in music
  15. ground — the earth
  16. craft — a skill
  17. craft — boats
  18. ground — crushed

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