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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.

Words on the sheet
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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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. scale — in music
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. degree — an amount
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. key — in music
  14. degree — temperature
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — for catching
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. key — the most important part
  20. degree — from a university
  21. scale — size or range
  22. row — to paddle
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. net — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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