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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. stock — shares
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. mine — for digging
  8. key — for a lock
  9. craft — boats
  10. craft — a skill
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. plane — a tool
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. key — in music
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — to point toward
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. stem — to come from
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. face — part of the head

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