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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 120 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: pass · fork · stock · rest · key · fan · content · bat

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. stock — goods
  3. pass — a permit
  4. stock — shares
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rest — a break
  7. content — happy
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. content — the amount
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. key — in music
  13. fork — in a road
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. key — the most important part
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bat — the animal
  24. rest — what's left

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