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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. spell — letters
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. stem — to come from
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — in music
  10. track — to keep track
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. rule — a law
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. spell — magic
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. spell — a short time
  20. track — a path
  21. track — a song
  22. rule — government
  23. key — the most important part
  24. pit — a hole

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