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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. saw — the tool
  6. stock — shares
  7. chair — a leader
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bass — the fish
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bass — low music
  16. lie — to recline
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. key — for a lock
  19. stock — goods
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. key — in music

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