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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. key — for a lock
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — size or range
  5. wake — a trail
  6. mug — to rob
  7. stem — to come from
  8. scale — in music
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. drill — army training
  11. fine — all right
  12. key — in music
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. mug — a cup
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. key — the most important part
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. toast — bread
  20. mug — a face
  21. drill — the tool
  22. drill — a practice
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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