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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: fine · pitch · lean · pass · spring · stock · fan · key

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — in music
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. spring — of water
  7. fine — high quality
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — goods
  10. pass — a permit
  11. spring — a coil
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. lean — thin
  15. key — for a lock
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. lean — to bend
  21. pitch — completely
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. spring — the season
  24. fan — a supporter

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