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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. stock — shares
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. wax — to grow
  9. stock — goods
  10. track — a song
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. key — the most important part
  14. rush — hurry
  15. track — a path
  16. track — to keep track
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. toast — bread
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. key — for a lock
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. key — in music
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. nail — on a finger

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