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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. sharp — clever
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. key — in music
  5. object — a thing
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a song
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. key — for a lock
  13. drill — the tool
  14. object — to protest
  15. drill — a practice
  16. kid — child
  17. stock — goods
  18. key — the most important part
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. track — a path
  21. drill — army training
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. object — an aim
  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