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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 · racket · stock · ground · staff · craft · pit · rule

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. ground — a position
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stock — goods
  5. pit — a hole
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. ground — the earth
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — for a lock
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. rule — a law
  13. craft — a skill
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — a stick
  16. stock — shares
  17. pit — in a race
  18. ground — crushed
  19. rule — government
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. craft — boats
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. staff — employees
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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