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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mark — a grade
  4. rule — a law
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. key — in music
  8. rule — government
  9. band — a music group
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. stock — goods
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. swing — in golf
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. mate — to breed
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. swing — music
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. stock — shares
  20. mate — a friend
  21. key — for a lock
  22. band — a ring
  23. swing — to play on
  24. mark — a trace

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