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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. pit — in a race
  3. key — for a lock
  4. lean — to bend
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. row — to paddle
  10. key — the most important part
  11. stock — goods
  12. row — a line
  13. key — in music
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. sharp — clever
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pit — a hole
  18. lean — thin
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. nail — for a hammer

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