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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. staff — employees
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. key — the most important part
  5. mark — a grade
  6. current — electric
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — goods
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. key — in music
  11. wake — a trail
  12. staff — employees
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. current — happening now
  16. mark — a trace
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. pitch — completely
  19. current — of water
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. staff — a stick
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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