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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 116 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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — in music
  5. net — for catching
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. rock — music
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stem — to come from
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitch — completely
  13. key — the most important part
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. net — in sport
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — electricity
  20. sharp — clever
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. charge — in control
  23. rock — a stone
  24. net — after costs

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