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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. net — for catching
  3. key — in music
  4. spring — the season
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. net — after costs
  8. snap — to click
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. spring — of water
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. stock — goods
  16. stock — shares
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. net — in sport
  21. key — the most important part
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. spring — a coil

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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