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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 116 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: hand · staff · stock · wake · pass · patient · march · key

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. hand — in cards
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. march — the month
  5. key — the most important part
  6. stock — goods
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — help
  9. march — the month
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — a stick
  12. stock — shares
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. wake — a trail
  15. march — music
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. staff — employees
  19. key — for a lock
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. pass — a permit
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. key — in music

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