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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pass — a permit
  4. key — the most important part
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. mine — for digging
  7. key — for a lock
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. fall — the season
  11. key — in music
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — goods
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. fall — to drop
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to sink
  24. fall — to drop

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