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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 · staff · key · bat · coach · kid · band · wave

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. kid — to tease
  6. staff — a stick
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. band — a ring
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. pass — a permit
  11. key — the most important part
  12. kid — child
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. staff — employees
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. staff — employees
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. band — a music group

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