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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. present — a gift
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. stock — shares
  6. present — there
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. key — for a lock
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. key — the most important part
  11. present — the time now
  12. key — in music
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. club — for dancing
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. ground — crushed
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. club — for golf
  20. ground — a position
  21. club — a group
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. ground — the earth

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