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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. club — a group
  3. stock — shares
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. pop — soda
  6. key — for a lock
  7. rock — a stone
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. key — in music
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. key — the most important part
  13. club — for golf
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. rock — music
  16. rest — a break
  17. fork — in a road
  18. pop — to visit
  19. club — for dancing
  20. rest — what's left
  21. pop — music
  22. rest — what's left
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fork — a garden tool

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