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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. bank — for money
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — the most important part
  7. roll — a cake
  8. shower — to wash
  9. bank — for money
  10. stock — shares
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. snap — to click
  13. roll — a list
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bank — of a river
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. shower — rain
  20. key — in music
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stock — goods
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — a strongbox

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