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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 ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. key — the most important part
  3. stock — shares
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. spring — of water
  6. spring — the season
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. key — for a lock
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. saw — the tool
  14. stock — goods
  15. saw — the tool
  16. spring — a coil
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — tied together
  19. key — in music
  20. bound — certain
  21. board — a committee
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. board — to get on

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