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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. file — a document
  3. ground — a position
  4. file — a line of people
  5. mark — a trace
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. stock — shares
  9. pit — in a race
  10. key — in music
  11. cue — a hint
  12. pit — a hole
  13. cue — for pool
  14. ground — the earth
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. key — for a lock
  20. file — a tool
  21. cue — a signal
  22. stock — goods
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. key — the most important part

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