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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bound — obliged
  4. saw — the tool
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — goods
  7. fine — high quality
  8. key — in music
  9. bound — tied together
  10. capital — money
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — soda
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bound — certain
  15. saw — the tool
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. face — to point toward
  18. key — the most important part
  19. pop — to visit
  20. fine — all right
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. face — part of the head
  23. capital — a city
  24. fine — a penalty

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