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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · stock · key · cell · bear · pit · pop · wave

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. key — in music
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pit — a hole
  6. cell — in biology
  7. tear — to rip
  8. cell — a phone
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pit — in a race
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. tear — from crying
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. pop — music
  16. stock — shares
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. tear — from crying
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — to visit
  24. key — the most important part

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