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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. race — a contest
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. ball — a dance
  7. saw — the tool
  8. race — humankind
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. key — in music
  11. hand — help
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pit — a hole
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. stem — to come from
  18. charge — in control
  19. hand — in cards
  20. race — the arms race
  21. charge — electricity
  22. ball — a great time
  23. key — the most important part
  24. charge — a price

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