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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. ground — a position
  5. stock — shares
  6. clip — to cut
  7. ground — the earth
  8. clip — a video
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mate — to breed
  11. root — the cause
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. ground — crushed
  14. stock — goods
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. root — of a plant
  17. key — the most important part
  18. clip — for paper
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. root — of a word
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. mate — a partner
  23. key — for a lock
  24. mate — a friend

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