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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  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. foot — the bottom
  2. key — in music
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. tube — a container
  7. bulb — for light
  8. ground — the earth
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. stock — shares
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — high quality
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bulb — for light
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. ground — crushed
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. foot — a measure
  19. ground — a position
  20. stock — goods
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. tube — the underground
  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