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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. key — for a lock
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — a coil
  6. key — in music
  7. spring — of water
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a signal
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — certain
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bound — tied together
  14. stock — shares
  15. cue — a hint
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. stock — goods
  18. hide — animal skin

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