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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. present — there
  3. key — the most important part
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. row — to paddle
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. present — a gift
  9. deal — to handle
  10. stock — goods
  11. key — for a lock
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. row — a line
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. stock — shares
  16. key — in music
  17. present — the time now
  18. temple — a place of worship

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