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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — shares
  5. rule — government
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. key — in music
  10. key — for a lock
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. can — a tin
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rule — a law
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. can — a tin
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. sharp — clever
  21. can — to be able to
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chair — a leader
  24. stock — a soup base

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