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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — the most important part
  3. track — to keep track
  4. stand — to bear
  5. ground — a position
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. track — a path
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. ground — crushed
  10. content — the amount
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. stock — goods
  19. track — a song
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. ground — the earth
  22. content — happy
  23. key — in music
  24. stock — shares

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