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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.

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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. key — the most important part
  3. march — the month
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. board — a committee
  7. rash — hasty
  8. board — to get on
  9. stem — to come from
  10. march — music
  11. march — the month
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. firm — decided
  14. key — in music
  15. firm — steady
  16. rash — a series
  17. key — for a lock
  18. firm — a company

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