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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. key — for a lock
  3. tube — a container
  4. stock — goods
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. drill — army training
  9. cap — of ice
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. cap — a hat
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. key — in music
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. drill — a practice
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. cap — a lid
  22. drill — the tool
  23. tube — the underground
  24. key — the most important part

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