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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. key — in music
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. key — for a lock
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. key — the most important part
  9. saw — the tool
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bass — the fish
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. object — an aim
  15. bass — low music
  16. sharp — clever
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stock — shares
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stock — goods
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. object — a thing
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. sharp — with an edge

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