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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — in cards
  3. key — for a lock
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. suit — to fit
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. wind — moving air
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a lid
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. cap — a hat
  13. key — the most important part
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. vault — a safe
  18. key — in music
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bear — the animal
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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