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

Word bank: stock · pass · key · nail · roll · patient

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. stock — goods
  4. key — in music
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pass — a permit
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — the most important part
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. stock — shares
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. roll — a list

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