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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. stock — shares
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. key — in music
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. land — to come down
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. field — a subject
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. stock — goods
  14. land — ground
  15. field — farmland
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. field — for sport
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. key — the most important part
  23. land — a country
  24. bowl — a football final

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