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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 120 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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. firm — steady
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — for golf
  5. root — of a word
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a grade
  8. pass — a permit
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. firm — a company
  12. club — a group
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. mark — a trace
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. root — of a plant
  17. firm — decided
  18. root — the cause
  19. key — in music
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — the most important part
  23. stem — to come from
  24. hand — help

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