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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. key — in music
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. key — for a lock
  5. net — after costs
  6. swing — in golf
  7. swing — music
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — in cards
  10. swing — to play on
  11. net — for catching
  12. drill — a practice
  13. key — the most important part
  14. spell — magic
  15. hand — help
  16. spell — a short time
  17. drill — the tool
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. net — in sport
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. spell — letters
  22. drill — army training
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. stock — shares

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