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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. prune — to trim
  3. stock — goods
  4. key — the most important part
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. prune — to trim
  8. tube — a container
  9. court — of law
  10. key — for a lock
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. face — part of the head
  13. key — in music
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. court — for sport
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. stock — shares
  18. tube — the underground
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. face — to point toward
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. face — to confront
  24. court — of a king

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