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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. drill — army training
  3. scale — in music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — for a lock
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a signal
  8. mark — a trace
  9. drill — a practice
  10. drill — the tool
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. fine — all right
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. scale — size or range
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. cue — a hint
  17. stock — goods
  18. key — in music
  19. dip — to sink
  20. stock — shares
  21. mark — a grade
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. fine — high quality

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