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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  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. game — a kind of play
  2. game — a match
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. key — for a lock
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bore — to drill
  11. game — wild animals
  12. rash — hasty
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. stock — shares
  16. rash — a series
  17. bore — to tire
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. key — in music
  20. pound — a weight
  21. rock — music
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. rash — on the skin
  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