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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. foot — a measure
  5. key — for a lock
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. fine — all right
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. fall — the season
  10. suit — to fit
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. squash — the sport
  13. stock — goods
  14. key — in music
  15. stock — shares
  16. suit — clothes
  17. suit — in cards
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. pitch — completely
  20. fall — to drop
  21. key — the most important part
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. squash — to crush
  24. fall — to drop

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