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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bat · leaves · cue · mate · key · board · stock · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. stock — goods
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a hint
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a friend
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. key — for a lock
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. mate — a partner
  16. bat — the animal
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bear — the animal
  19. cue — a signal
  20. board — a committee
  21. stock — shares
  22. key — in music
  23. board — to get on
  24. stock — a soup base

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