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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  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. swing — to play on
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. stock — shares
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. race — humankind
  8. key — for a lock
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bear — the animal
  11. cue — a signal
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. cue — for pool
  14. swing — music
  15. stock — goods
  16. race — the arms race
  17. swing — in golf
  18. rush — hurry
  19. cue — a hint
  20. bear — the animal
  21. race — a contest
  22. ball — a dance
  23. key — the most important part
  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