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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. stock — shares
  3. row — to paddle
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. spell — magic
  8. key — in music
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. row — a line
  11. pound — a weight
  12. key — for a lock
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — a short time
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. deal — to handle
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. key — the most important part
  23. stock — goods
  24. stock — a soup base

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