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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: key · fan · ground · bay · mug · stock · pitch · hand

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. stock — shares
  3. key — for a lock
  4. hand — in cards
  5. stock — goods
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. ground — the earth
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. ground — a position
  13. hand — help
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. mug — a face
  17. mug — to rob
  18. pitch — completely
  19. key — in music
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. ground — crushed
  22. mug — a cup
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bay — a horse colour

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