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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 120 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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. sharp — clever
  3. face — to point toward
  4. stock — shares
  5. deal — to handle
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. key — for a lock
  10. face — to confront
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — child
  14. key — in music
  15. charge — a price
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. stock — goods
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. charge — electricity
  21. face — part of the head
  22. charge — in control
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. fan — to cool the air

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