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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stock — goods
  4. key — in music
  5. key — for a lock
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. squash — to crush
  8. squash — the sport
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — an aim
  11. game — wild animals
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. object — to protest
  14. face — to point toward
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bear — the animal
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. game — a match
  19. bear — the animal
  20. stock — shares
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. face — part of the head
  24. key — the most important part

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