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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. key — for a lock
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. field — a subject
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bear — the animal
  11. stem — to come from
  12. staff — employees
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. field — farmland
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. staff — employees
  18. pound — a weight
  19. key — in music
  20. key — the most important part
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. bear — the animal
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. field — for sport

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