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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. key — for a lock
  4. club — a group
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. object — a thing
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. drill — the tool
  9. plane — a tool
  10. club — for golf
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. club — for dancing
  13. drill — army training
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — to protest
  16. key — in music
  17. mark — a trace
  18. key — the most important part
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — goods
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. drill — a practice
  24. stock — a soup base

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