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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. spring — of water
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. key — for a lock
  10. cue — for pool
  11. key — the most important part
  12. spring — a coil
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cap — a lid
  15. squash — to crush
  16. cap — a hat
  17. squash — the sport
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. cap — of ice
  22. spring — the season
  23. cue — a signal
  24. key — in 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