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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. chip — to eat
  3. season — in sport
  4. key — for a lock
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. stock — shares
  7. pound — a weight
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. season — of the year
  11. race — a contest
  12. key — in music
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. chip — for betting
  15. key — the most important part
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. race — humankind
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. stock — goods
  24. race — the arms race

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