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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. key — for a lock
  4. firm — steady
  5. present — the time now
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. stock — shares
  8. object — to protest
  9. bear — the animal
  10. object — a thing
  11. stock — goods
  12. key — in music
  13. present — there
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. present — a gift
  17. firm — decided
  18. march — the month
  19. bear — the animal
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. march — music
  22. firm — a company
  23. object — an aim
  24. march — the month

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