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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. root — of a word
  3. key — in music
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. root — the cause
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. mark — a trace
  10. chest — of your body
  11. row — to paddle
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. key — for a lock
  17. root — of a plant
  18. mark — a grade
  19. row — a line
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. chest — a box
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. chest — of your body

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