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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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. key — in music
  4. prune — to trim
  5. club — for golf
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. deal — to handle
  9. row — to paddle
  10. cell — in biology
  11. club — for dancing
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. prune — to trim
  15. club — a group
  16. key — for a lock
  17. row — a line
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. cell — a phone
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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