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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. rock — a stone
  3. wind — moving air
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. march — the month
  6. stem — to come from
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. march — the month
  10. march — music
  11. cap — of ice
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. cap — a hat
  14. wind — moving air
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. staff — employees
  17. key — the most important part
  18. cap — a lid
  19. key — in music
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. staff — a stick
  23. key — for a lock
  24. rock — music

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