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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 116 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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. cue — a signal
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. face — to point toward
  5. face — to confront
  6. stock — shares
  7. cue — a hint
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. key — in music
  10. track — a path
  11. cue — for pool
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. press — newspapers
  14. stock — goods
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. dip — to sink
  18. track — to keep track
  19. face — part of the head
  20. track — a song
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. key — the most important part
  23. press — to push
  24. press — a publisher

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