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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 120 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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — for a lock
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bulb — for light
  7. ball — a great time
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stock — shares
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stock — goods
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. stand — to bear
  20. bulb — for light
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. perch — for a bird

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