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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stick · pop · press · mouse · stock · key · march · row

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. key — the most important part
  3. march — the month
  4. key — for a lock
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. march — music
  7. row — a line
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pop — music
  11. stock — shares
  12. row — to paddle
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pop — soda
  15. press — to push
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pop — to visit
  20. press — a publisher
  21. march — the month
  22. stock — goods
  23. press — newspapers
  24. row — a quarrel

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