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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. object — a thing
  3. mark — a trace
  4. key — for a lock
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. cold — not warm
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — shares
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. bound — tied together
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — to protest
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bound — obliged
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. cold — an illness
  19. bound — certain
  20. key — the most important part
  21. pound — a weight
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — in a road
  24. key — in music

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