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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 · bulb · key · mouse · march · stock · band · row

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. row — to paddle
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. band — a ring
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. march — the month
  7. stock — goods
  8. march — the month
  9. key — for a lock
  10. march — music
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. key — in music
  14. row — a line
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pass — a permit
  17. band — a music group
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. key — the most important part
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. stock — shares
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. bulb — for light
  24. row — a quarrel

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