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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  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. foot — the bottom
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — goods
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. spell — letters
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. spell — a short time
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. spell — magic
  11. roll — a cake
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. foot — a measure
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. bulb — for light
  16. key — in music
  17. band — a ring
  18. band — a music group
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bulb — for light
  21. roll — a list
  22. key — for a lock
  23. key — the most important part
  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