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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. stem — to come from
  4. ball — a great time
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. key — for a lock
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. fork — in a road
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. key — in music
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. key — the most important part
  18. ball — a dance

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