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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. mug — a face
  3. tube — the underground
  4. mark — a grade
  5. key — for a lock
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. key — the most important part
  12. tube — a container
  13. mug — to rob
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — a trail
  18. scale — size or range
  19. scale — in music
  20. mark — a trace
  21. stock — shares
  22. key — in music
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. mug — a cup

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