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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. key — in music
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — for a lock
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. ground — the earth
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. ground — crushed
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. pitch — completely
  15. stem — to come from
  16. ground — a position
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. stock — goods
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. sharp — with an edge
  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