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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 116 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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. rash — a series
  3. key — the most important part
  4. sharp — clever
  5. key — for a lock
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. stock — goods
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. present — the time now
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. stock — shares
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. rush — hurry
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. fork — in a road
  23. present — there
  24. present — a gift

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