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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. key — in music
  4. tear — from crying
  5. firm — decided
  6. stock — shares
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — the most important part
  9. stock — goods
  10. fork — in a road
  11. firm — a company
  12. firm — steady
  13. tear — to rip
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. tear — from crying
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — the season
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. spring — of water
  24. pass — a permit

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