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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: field · key · cabinet · staff · roll · stock · bear · object

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. object — an aim
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — a stick
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. roll — a cake
  7. object — to protest
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — in music
  10. roll — a list
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. stock — shares
  14. field — a subject
  15. field — farmland
  16. stock — goods
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. field — for sport
  20. bear — the animal
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. object — a thing
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. staff — employees

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