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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. mate — to breed
  3. key — in music
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — goods
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. mate — a friend
  9. band — a ring
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. degree — temperature
  12. craft — boats
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. band — a music group
  15. key — the most important part
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — a measure
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. degree — an amount
  20. key — for a lock
  21. craft — a skill
  22. degree — from a university
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. mate — a partner

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