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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. spell — letters
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. key — for a lock
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. net — after costs
  7. spell — magic
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. key — the most important part
  10. pit — a hole
  11. key — in music
  12. net — for catching
  13. pit — in a race
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. stem — to come from
  16. wind — moving air
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. spell — a short time
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. wind — moving air
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. net — in sport
  24. jam — in traffic

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