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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. key — for a lock
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. key — the most important part
  8. current — electric
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — an injury
  13. key — in music
  14. squash — the sport
  15. chip — for betting
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — of water
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. stock — goods
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. stock — shares
  22. chip — to eat
  23. squash — to crush
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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