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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. squash — to crush
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stock — goods
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. key — in music
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bound — tied together
  16. stock — shares
  17. key — for a lock
  18. squash — the sport
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bound — certain
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — in a road
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. bound — obliged

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