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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. key — in music
  4. stock — shares
  5. board — to get on
  6. chest — a box
  7. key — for a lock
  8. staff — employees
  9. cell — a phone
  10. stock — goods
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. chest — of your body
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. cell — in biology
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. staff — employees
  21. key — the most important part
  22. chest — of your body
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. board — a committee

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