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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: stock · kick · key · object · bulb · cap · craft · rest

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. cap — a hat
  5. stock — shares
  6. key — in music
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bulb — for light
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. object — an aim
  11. bulb — for light
  12. key — for a lock
  13. rest — a break
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. kick — in football
  16. craft — a skill
  17. object — to protest
  18. cap — a lid
  19. craft — boats
  20. stock — goods
  21. object — a thing
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — what's left
  24. kick — with a leg

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