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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. can — a tin
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. rule — government
  6. kick — in football
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — for a lock
  9. can — to be able to
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. stock — shares
  12. track — a path
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bulb — for light
  16. stock — goods
  17. can — a tin
  18. key — in music
  19. track — a song
  20. rule — a law
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bulb — for light
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. kick — with a leg

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