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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. key — the most important part
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. pop — music
  5. stock — goods
  6. key — for a lock
  7. stock — shares
  8. rule — government
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. field — for sport
  11. key — in music
  12. tube — the underground
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. pop — to visit
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. bank — of a river
  18. tube — a container
  19. bank — for money
  20. rule — a law
  21. bank — for money
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. field — a subject
  24. field — farmland

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