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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — the tool
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. key — in music
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. stock — goods
  8. spell — a short time
  9. wind — moving air
  10. key — for a lock
  11. drill — army training
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bound — obliged
  17. spell — letters
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bound — certain
  20. spell — magic
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. key — the most important part
  24. stock — shares

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