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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. content — the amount
  3. stock — shares
  4. key — in music
  5. press — a publisher
  6. pit — in a race
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. key — for a lock
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. pit — a hole
  12. scale — in music
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. content — happy
  16. rock — music
  17. stock — goods
  18. press — to push
  19. press — newspapers
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. scale — size or range
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. rock — a stone

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