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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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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: key · pop · stock · lie · degree · row · season · suit

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. row — a line
  3. pop — music
  4. season — in sport
  5. pop — to visit
  6. degree — temperature
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. suit — clothes
  10. key — in music
  11. season — of the year
  12. suit — to fit
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. degree — from a university
  15. row — to paddle
  16. stock — goods
  17. pop — soda
  18. stock — shares
  19. key — for a lock
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. suit — in cards
  23. degree — an amount
  24. stock — a soup base

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