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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. key — the most important part
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. capital — a city
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bat — the animal
  17. capital — money
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. key — in music
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stem — a stem cell

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