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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: key · lie · bay · pass · prune · track · cue · stock

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. lie — to recline
  3. key — for a lock
  4. prune — to trim
  5. key — in music
  6. pass — a permit
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. cue — a signal
  15. track — a song
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. prune — to trim
  18. track — to keep track
  19. cue — for pool
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. track — a path
  22. cue — a hint
  23. stock — goods
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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