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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. mate — to breed
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. mate — a partner
  5. drill — a practice
  6. stock — goods
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. stock — shares
  11. drill — the tool
  12. mate — a friend
  13. file — a document
  14. file — a line of people
  15. drill — army training
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — in music
  18. board — to get on
  19. file — a tool
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. sharp — clever
  23. board — a committee
  24. sharp — exactly

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