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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. march — the month
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. march — the month
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. craft — a skill
  11. perch — the fish
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. key — in music
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. craft — boats
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. march — music
  24. stock — goods

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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