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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. field — for sport
  4. spring — of water
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. squash — the sport
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mate — a partner
  9. field — a subject
  10. stock — shares
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. key — for a lock
  14. field — farmland
  15. key — in music
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. squash — to crush
  18. spring — a coil
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. mate — a friend
  21. spring — the season
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. stock — goods
  24. squash — the vegetable

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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