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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.

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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. key — the most important part
  3. stock — shares
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. wake — a trail
  6. can — to be able to
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. mug — to rob
  9. can — a tin
  10. fine — high quality
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — in cards
  14. key — in music
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. mug — a cup
  18. key — for a lock
  19. mug — a face
  20. can — a tin
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. fine — all right
  23. stock — goods
  24. hand — help

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