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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — in music
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. press — to push
  6. stem — to come from
  7. key — the most important part
  8. squash — to crush
  9. content — the amount
  10. perch — the fish
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. content — happy
  15. squash — the sport
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. press — a publisher
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. press — newspapers
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. pitcher — a jug

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