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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 124 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rock — a stone
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. stock — shares
  7. fall — to drop
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. drill — a practice
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bark — to shout
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stock — goods
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. fall — the season
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. drill — army training
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. key — in music
  22. drill — the tool
  23. key — for a lock
  24. ruler — for measuring

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