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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. craft — a skill
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rest — a break
  7. plane — a tool
  8. band — a music group
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. key — for a lock
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. rest — what's left
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. band — a ring
  19. key — the most important part
  20. wake — a trail
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. stock — shares
  23. craft — boats
  24. stock — goods

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