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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. board — a committee
  3. ground — the earth
  4. mate — to breed
  5. season — in sport
  6. firm — decided
  7. season — of the year
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. mate — a partner
  11. firm — a company
  12. key — for a lock
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — rain
  15. key — in music
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. key — the most important part
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ground — a position
  20. mate — a friend
  21. board — to get on
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. firm — steady
  24. stem — to come from

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