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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. row — a line
  3. fall — the season
  4. key — for a lock
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. stem — to come from
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — there
  9. key — in music
  10. club — for golf
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. club — a group
  14. club — for dancing
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — to drop
  18. row — to paddle
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. present — the time now
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. pound — a weight
  24. row — a quarrel

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