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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: tear · wake · game · rash · key · craft · stock · ground

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. game — a match
  4. ground — a position
  5. rash — hasty
  6. ground — the earth
  7. tear — from crying
  8. stock — shares
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. key — in music
  12. game — wild animals
  13. craft — boats
  14. stock — goods
  15. craft — a skill
  16. rash — a series
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. tear — from crying
  20. key — for a lock
  21. key — the most important part
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. ground — crushed
  24. game — a kind of play

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