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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  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. rush — a thrill
  2. key — the most important part
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bulb — for light
  6. key — in music
  7. stock — goods
  8. club — for golf
  9. game — a match
  10. club — for dancing
  11. rush — hurry
  12. stock — shares
  13. club — a group
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. game — wild animals
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. key — for a lock
  23. deal — to handle
  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