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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. race — a contest
  3. spring — a coil
  4. rash — a series
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stock — shares
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. race — the arms race
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. spring — the season
  12. key — the most important part
  13. foot — a measure
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — hasty
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. stock — goods
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. race — humankind
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. branch — a division
  22. key — for a lock
  23. key — in music
  24. spring — of water

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