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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. key — in music
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. craft — a skill
  10. kick — in football
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. key — for a lock
  14. court — of law
  15. craft — boats
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. pitch — completely
  18. court — for sport
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. court — of a king
  21. stock — goods
  22. key — the most important part
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. rush — hurry

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