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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. stock — goods
  3. track — to keep track
  4. key — for a lock
  5. mug — a cup
  6. pound — a weight
  7. key — the most important part
  8. track — a song
  9. vault — a safe
  10. track — a path
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. mug — to rob
  16. board — a committee
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. stock — shares
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. key — in music
  22. mug — a face
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. pound — to hit hard

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