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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 120 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. key — in music
  3. craft — boats
  4. drill — a practice
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. key — the most important part
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. drill — army training
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a dance
  14. court — for sport
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — of law
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. shower — to wash
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. craft — a skill
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. key — for a lock
  23. drill — the tool
  24. shower — rain

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