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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 120 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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. stem — to come from
  3. branch — a division
  4. content — the amount
  5. present — the time now
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. content — happy
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. key — in music
  12. present — a gift
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. current — of water
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. present — there
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. current — electric
  22. current — happening now
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. bowl — a dish

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