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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. stem — to come from
  4. firm — decided
  5. can — to be able to
  6. spring — a coil
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. can — a tin
  9. key — for a lock
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. spring — the season
  13. key — the most important part
  14. firm — steady
  15. key — in music
  16. can — a tin
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. spring — of water

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