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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. key — the most important part
  3. scale — size or range
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bore — to tire
  6. scale — in music
  7. key — for a lock
  8. squash — to crush
  9. key — in music
  10. stock — goods
  11. rush — hurry
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. hand — in cards
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. hand — help

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