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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bat — the animal
  4. club — a group
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. lie — to recline
  8. club — for golf
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. key — the most important part
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. board — a committee
  16. key — in music
  17. club — for dancing
  18. pit — a hole
  19. board — to get on
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. stem — to come from
  23. key — for a lock
  24. board — a flat piece

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