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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. net — in sport
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — in music
  7. mark — a trace
  8. drill — a practice
  9. content — the amount
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. mark — a grade
  13. drill — army training
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. key — for a lock
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. net — after costs
  20. net — for catching
  21. rock — music
  22. pitch — completely
  23. content — happy
  24. rock — a stone

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