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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: key · cabinet · chest · march · present · firm · stock · plane

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. march — the month
  3. present — the time now
  4. stock — shares
  5. march — music
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. present — there
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. present — a gift
  11. chest — of your body
  12. firm — decided
  13. stock — goods
  14. chest — of your body
  15. march — the month
  16. chest — a box
  17. key — for a lock
  18. firm — a company
  19. key — the most important part
  20. firm — steady
  21. key — in music
  22. plane — a tool
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. plane — in geometry

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