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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. swing — music
  3. key — for a lock
  4. object — a thing
  5. face — to point toward
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. key — the most important part
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. object — an aim
  10. mark — a grade
  11. face — part of the head
  12. mark — a trace
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. rush — hurry
  15. swing — in golf
  16. swing — to play on
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. key — in music
  19. row — to paddle
  20. stock — goods
  21. stock — shares
  22. object — to protest
  23. face — to confront
  24. stock — a soup base

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