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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. stem — to come from
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. chip — for betting
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. last — final
  14. last — finally
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. last — to go on
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — for a lock
  21. branch — a division
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. chip — to eat
  24. sharp — clever

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