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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. key — for a lock
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. stem — to come from
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — to handle
  7. net — for catching
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. kid — child
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. net — in sport
  14. key — the most important part
  15. net — after costs
  16. kid — to tease
  17. pitch — completely
  18. squash — to crush
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. key — in music
  23. squash — the sport
  24. pitch — a sports field

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