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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. stock — goods
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. key — for a lock
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. key — in music
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. stock — shares
  13. ball — a dance
  14. hand — help
  15. wax — to grow
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. ball — a great time
  18. dip — to sink
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — in cards
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. key — the most important part

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