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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. key — the most important part
  3. swing — music
  4. degree — from a university
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bank — of a river
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. swing — to play on
  10. degree — temperature
  11. spell — magic
  12. bank — for money
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bank — for money
  15. degree — an amount
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. prune — to trim
  19. key — in music
  20. stock — shares
  21. spell — letters
  22. key — for a lock
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stock — goods

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