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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: ground · cue · pass · key · face · object · staff · stock

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. key — in music
  3. staff — employees
  4. face — to confront
  5. ground — a position
  6. cue — a signal
  7. pass — a permit
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — for a lock
  10. staff — a stick
  11. object — an aim
  12. stock — goods
  13. ground — crushed
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. ground — the earth
  16. cue — for pool
  17. stock — shares
  18. face — part of the head
  19. object — to protest
  20. face — to point toward
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. staff — employees
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. object — a thing

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