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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 116 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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. land — to come down
  3. stock — shares
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. key — in music
  6. rock — a stone
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. land — ground
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. key — for a lock
  16. branch — a division
  17. land — a country
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. perch — the fish
  20. stock — goods
  21. rock — music
  22. kick — in football
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. kick — with a leg

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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