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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. mug — a face
  3. key — in music
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. stock — goods
  6. key — the most important part
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. mug — to rob
  10. key — for a lock
  11. scale — size or range
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. mug — a cup
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. band — a music group
  17. chip — to eat
  18. scale — in music
  19. band — a ring
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. stock — shares
  22. pitch — completely
  23. wake — a trail
  24. chip — for betting

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