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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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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. stock — shares
  3. cold — an illness
  4. board — a committee
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. club — for golf
  7. club — for dancing
  8. key — in music
  9. key — the most important part
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bank — for money
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. board — to get on
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. cold — not warm
  19. bank — of a river
  20. stock — goods
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. club — a group
  24. pass — a permit

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