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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 have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. stem — to come from
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. key — for a lock
  5. capital — a city
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. can — a tin
  9. key — in music
  10. mate — to breed
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. capital — money
  13. can — to be able to
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitch — completely
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. mate — a partner
  20. deal — to handle
  21. foot — a measure
  22. mate — a friend
  23. can — a tin
  24. key — the most important part

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