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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 116 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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. key — for a lock
  3. stock — shares
  4. row — to paddle
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. degree — an amount
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. key — the most important part
  15. degree — from a university
  16. row — a line
  17. stock — goods
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stand — to bear
  22. degree — temperature
  23. key — in music
  24. kick — in football

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