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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bass — the fish
  4. board — to get on
  5. stock — shares
  6. key — the most important part
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. board — a committee
  11. chip — for betting
  12. snap — to click
  13. key — in music
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. stock — goods
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. bass — low music
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. chip — to eat

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