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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. can — a tin
  3. key — the most important part
  4. spring — a coil
  5. can — a tin
  6. shower — rain
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. craft — a skill
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — shares
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. spring — the season
  14. ground — a position
  15. craft — boats
  16. key — in music
  17. ground — crushed
  18. can — to be able to
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. stock — goods
  21. spring — of water
  22. ground — the earth
  23. shower — to wash
  24. wave — with your hand

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