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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. branch — a division
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. stand — to bear
  7. key — in music
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. march — the month
  11. key — the most important part
  12. march — the month
  13. key — for a lock
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. march — music
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — a safe
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. stem — to come from
  24. branch — of a tree

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