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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. ball — a dance
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. key — for a lock
  10. club — for dancing
  11. sharp — clever
  12. rest — what's left
  13. key — in music
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — hurry
  16. ball — a great time
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. key — the most important part
  19. stem — to come from
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. content — happy
  22. rest — a break
  23. content — the amount
  24. club — a group

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