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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. key — the most important part
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — a trail
  7. spring — a coil
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. chip — to eat
  11. stock — shares
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. spring — of water
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. chip — for betting
  21. spring — the season
  22. key — in music
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. key — for a lock

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