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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. key — in music
  3. stock — shares
  4. stem — to come from
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — electricity
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. mate — to breed
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. mate — a friend
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — in cards
  15. key — the most important part
  16. mate — a partner
  17. charge — a price
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. degree — temperature
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. degree — an amount
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. key — for a lock
  24. degree — from a university

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