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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  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. squash — to crush
  2. file — a tool
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. key — the most important part
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. squash — the sport
  7. present — the time now
  8. key — for a lock
  9. present — a gift
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. file — a line of people
  12. file — a document
  13. key — in music
  14. pass — a permit
  15. stem — to come from
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. present — there
  18. bat — the animal
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — for golf
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. squash — the vegetable
  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