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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. squash — the sport
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. stock — shares
  6. band — a music group
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. key — in music
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. squash — to crush
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. key — for a lock
  14. stock — goods
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. band — a ring
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — of the year
  21. season — in sport
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — to bear

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