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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 120 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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. kick — in football
  3. key — in music
  4. stock — goods
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. last — finally
  7. key — the most important part
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. stock — shares
  11. last — to go on
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. last — final
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. deal — to handle
  17. key — for a lock
  18. ball — a great time

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