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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. pit — a hole
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bound — certain
  5. club — a group
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — goods
  10. wind — moving air
  11. row — to paddle
  12. club — for dancing
  13. stock — shares
  14. bound — tied together
  15. key — in music
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bound — obliged
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. key — the most important part
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. key — for a lock
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. club — for golf
  24. nail — for a hammer

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