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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. tube — a container
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. key — in music
  8. bound — certain
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. ball — a great time
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bound — tied together
  14. fork — in a road
  15. ball — a dance
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. key — the most important part
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. key — for a lock
  24. bound — obliged

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