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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. object — an aim
  3. stem — to come from
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. key — in music
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. fine — high quality
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. swing — in golf
  12. foot — a measure
  13. object — to protest
  14. fine — all right
  15. toast — bread
  16. plane — a tool
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. swing — to play on
  21. key — for a lock
  22. swing — music
  23. object — a thing
  24. toast — the most admired

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