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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. content — the amount
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bore — to drill
  8. content — happy
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bass — the fish
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. key — for a lock
  14. pass — a permit
  15. bore — to tire
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bass — low music
  21. key — in music
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — all right

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