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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. stock — goods
  3. bass — the fish
  4. stock — shares
  5. key — for a lock
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. current — happening now
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. current — electric
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bass — low music
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. row — to paddle
  19. row — a line
  20. saw — the tool
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. key — in music
  24. current — of water

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