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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 116 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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bank — of a river
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — to rob
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. mug — a cup
  7. key — in music
  8. prune — to trim
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bank — for money
  11. degree — temperature
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. degree — from a university
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. degree — an amount
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. cell — in biology
  20. prune — to trim
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. cell — a phone
  23. key — for a lock
  24. bank — for money

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