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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: wake · rock · stock · coach · cue · field · pass · key

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. pass — a permit
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cue — a hint
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. rock — a stone
  10. field — farmland
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. key — in music
  13. wake — a trail
  14. field — a subject
  15. key — for a lock
  16. stock — goods
  17. field — for sport
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. cue — for pool
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. stock — shares
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. key — the most important part
  24. rock — music

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