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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: bowl · stock · pass · key · plane · capital · pitcher · net

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. net — for catching
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. net — in sport
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. key — in music
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — shares
  10. net — after costs
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. plane — a tool
  13. capital — a city
  14. key — for a lock
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. pass — a permit
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. capital — money
  19. key — the most important part
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bowl — a football final

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