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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 116 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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. key — the most important part
  3. pop — music
  4. tear — from crying
  5. key — for a lock
  6. stock — goods
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. key — in music
  10. pop — to visit
  11. stock — shares
  12. pop — soda
  13. shower — rain
  14. shower — to wash
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. tear — to rip
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. tear — from crying
  23. pit — a hole
  24. stock — a soup base

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