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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  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. pitch — completely
  2. key — for a lock
  3. degree — from a university
  4. stem — to come from
  5. bank — of a river
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. bank — for money
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. degree — an amount
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. staff — employees
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. staff — employees
  18. key — in music
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bank — for money
  21. staff — a stick
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. degree — temperature
  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