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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  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. stem — to come from
  2. pop — soda
  3. key — for a lock
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. track — a path
  6. can — a tin
  7. fine — all right
  8. pop — music
  9. fine — high quality
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. track — a song
  12. key — the most important part
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. dip — to sink
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. pop — to visit
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — moving air
  21. can — to be able to
  22. track — to keep track
  23. can — a tin
  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