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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. stock — goods
  3. tear — from crying
  4. court — of law
  5. key — for a lock
  6. sharp — clever
  7. race — a contest
  8. key — the most important part
  9. suit — clothes
  10. race — the arms race
  11. court — for sport
  12. race — humankind
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. craft — boats
  16. tear — to rip
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. tear — from crying
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. craft — a skill
  21. court — of a king
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — to fit

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