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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. stock — shares
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. swing — to play on
  5. firm — a company
  6. stock — goods
  7. staff — employees
  8. key — in music
  9. key — the most important part
  10. firm — steady
  11. staff — employees
  12. firm — decided
  13. last — final
  14. toast — bread
  15. swing — music
  16. last — finally
  17. swing — in golf
  18. staff — a stick
  19. game — a match
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. game — wild animals
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. last — to go on

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