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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. stock — shares
  4. key — for a lock
  5. season — in sport
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. key — in music
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stock — goods
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a plant
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. season — of the year
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. bat — the animal
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. bark — to shout
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — an injury
  21. key — the most important part
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. root — of a word
  24. nail — for a hammer

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