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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 120 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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. face — to confront
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. key — for a lock
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. key — in music
  11. kid — child
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. stock — shares
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. key — the most important part
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. face — part of the head
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. stock — goods

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