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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. root — of a word
  3. stock — shares
  4. key — in music
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. key — for a lock
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. hand — in cards
  11. scale — size or range
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. root — of a plant
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. root — the cause
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. key — the most important part
  20. hand — help
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. stock — goods
  23. racket — for tennis
  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