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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. key — for a lock
  7. net — after costs
  8. suit — in cards
  9. stock — shares
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. deal — to handle
  13. suit — to fit
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. key — in music
  16. key — the most important part
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stock — goods
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. net — for catching
  21. suit — clothes
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bat — the animal
  24. net — in sport

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