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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — in music
  4. stock — shares
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. court — of a king
  7. key — for a lock
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. stock — goods
  10. pound — a weight
  11. key — in music
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. rush — hurry
  14. court — of law
  15. scale — size or range
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. court — for sport
  19. key — the most important part
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. wound — an injury
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. wound — an injury
  24. rush — a thrill

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