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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. key — the most important part
  3. stock — shares
  4. lie — to recline
  5. stock — goods
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. key — in music
  8. spring — a coil
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bore — to drill
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. key — for a lock
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. spring — the season
  17. spring — of water
  18. mark — a trace
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a music group
  24. bore — to tire

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