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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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bound — certain
  5. key — in music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. mark — a grade
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — shares
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. fine — all right
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. key — the most important part
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — obliged
  20. stock — goods
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. prune — to trim
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. prune — to trim

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