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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 116 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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — goods
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. pass — a permit
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — the most important part
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. race — a contest
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. race — the arms race
  17. mate — a partner
  18. rest — what's left
  19. dip — to sink
  20. race — humankind
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — to breed
  24. key — in music

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