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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. ball — a great time
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. key — in music
  12. key — for a lock
  13. ball — a dance
  14. stem — to come from
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. dip — to sink
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. fork — in a road
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pass — a permit
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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