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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: bay · shower · stick · stock · mate · pit · hand · key

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. hand — in cards
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. mate — to breed
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. shower — to wash
  9. pit — in a race
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stock — shares
  12. mate — a friend
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stock — goods
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. shower — rain
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — in music
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pit — a hole
  22. mate — a partner
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — part of the body

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