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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. stock — shares
  3. key — the most important part
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. tear — from crying
  6. object — a thing
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — obliged
  10. capital — a city
  11. object — an aim
  12. pit — in a race
  13. club — a group
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — to rip
  16. club — for dancing
  17. pit — a hole
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. object — to protest
  21. capital — money
  22. club — for golf
  23. bound — certain
  24. stock — goods

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