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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. stock — shares
  3. last — final
  4. rest — a break
  5. craft — a skill
  6. rest — what's left
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. stock — goods
  10. last — finally
  11. last — to go on
  12. chip — to eat
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. key — for a lock
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. craft — boats
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — in music
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. chip — for betting

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