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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. march — the month
  7. bear — the animal
  8. deal — to handle
  9. stock — goods
  10. board — a committee
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. march — the month
  15. ball — a dance
  16. march — music
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. key — in music
  19. key — the most important part
  20. stock — shares
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bear — the animal
  24. ball — a great time

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