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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. key — in music
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. track — a song
  8. cold — an illness
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. track — a path
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. press — to push
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. key — for a lock
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. press — newspapers
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. press — a publisher
  21. stock — goods
  22. stand — to bear
  23. track — to keep track
  24. cold — not warm

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