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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. present — there
  4. deal — to handle
  5. track — a path
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. race — the arms race
  8. track — to keep track
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. present — a gift
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. race — humankind
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. track — a song
  15. key — in music
  16. perch — the fish
  17. stock — shares
  18. present — the time now
  19. stock — goods
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. race — a contest
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. key — the most important part
  24. fork — in a road

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