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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. key — the most important part
  5. object — a thing
  6. fork — in a road
  7. content — happy
  8. root — the cause
  9. stem — to come from
  10. key — in music
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. object — an aim
  13. root — of a plant
  14. mine — for digging
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. object — to protest
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. root — of a word
  22. content — the amount
  23. key — for a lock
  24. stem — a stem cell

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