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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. key — in music
  3. stem — to come from
  4. key — the most important part
  5. swing — in golf
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. swing — to play on
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. race — the arms race
  10. race — humankind
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. net — in sport
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — to visit
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. pop — music
  17. net — after costs
  18. key — for a lock
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. swing — music
  23. race — a contest
  24. net — for catching

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