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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — in music
  3. cap — a hat
  4. saw — the tool
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — hurry
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. club — a group
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. club — for golf
  13. bark — to shout
  14. club — for dancing
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. key — the most important part
  18. stock — shares
  19. cap — of ice
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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