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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. stock — shares
  4. shower — to wash
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. tube — a container
  9. bulb — for light
  10. shower — rain
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bulb — for light
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. key — for a lock
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rash — a series
  19. tube — the underground
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. ball — a dance
  23. stock — goods
  24. ball — a great time

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