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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.

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: game · ball · pass · march · chip · key · cue · stem

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. stem — to come from
  3. key — the most important part
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cue — a signal
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. march — the month
  11. game — a match
  12. game — wild animals
  13. pass — a permit
  14. ball — a great time
  15. key — in music
  16. march — the month
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. ball — a dance
  21. key — for a lock
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chip — to eat
  24. march — music

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