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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — help
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — shares
  6. dip — to sink
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. hand — in cards
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. pound — a weight
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — a measure
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. craft — boats
  18. key — the most important part
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. craft — a skill
  22. stock — goods
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. key — for a lock

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