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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  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. hand — part of the body
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. cue — a hint
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. pit — a hole
  6. key — the most important part
  7. pit — in a race
  8. cue — a signal
  9. stock — goods
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. cue — for pool
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. key — for a lock
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. sharp — clever
  17. key — in music
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. hand — in cards
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. hand — help
  22. stock — shares
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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