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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. object — a thing
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bank — for money
  6. key — the most important part
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. key — in music
  10. stock — goods
  11. game — a match
  12. drill — a practice
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a dance
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. drill — army training
  17. object — an aim
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bank — of a river
  20. game — wild animals
  21. stock — shares
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bank — for money

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