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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. row — a line
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. stem — to come from
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. rock — a stone
  11. degree — temperature
  12. key — in music
  13. row — to paddle
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. degree — an amount
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. rock — music
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. degree — from a university
  24. key — the most important part

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