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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bear — the animal
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. court — of a king
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — in music
  11. saw — the tool
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. stock — shares
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bore — to drill
  16. court — for sport
  17. plane — a tool
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bear — the animal
  20. court — of law
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bore — to tire

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