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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: game · swing · bank · pass · march · key · stock · saw

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. pass — a permit
  4. stock — shares
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. stock — goods
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. swing — in golf
  10. key — in music
  11. bank — for money
  12. march — the month
  13. bank — for money
  14. swing — music
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. march — the month
  17. game — wild animals
  18. march — music
  19. key — the most important part
  20. swing — to play on
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bank — of a river
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. pass — to succeed

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