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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. land — ground
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. stock — shares
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. key — for a lock
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. land — a country
  14. key — in music
  15. stock — goods
  16. pass — a permit
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fork — in a road
  21. land — to come down
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. straw — a straw man

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