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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. suit — to fit
  4. bore — to tire
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. ground — the earth
  7. bore — to drill
  8. suit — clothes
  9. fine — all right
  10. key — for a lock
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. spell — magic
  13. stem — to come from
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. key — the most important part
  16. suit — in cards
  17. spell — letters
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. fine — high quality
  20. ground — a position
  21. key — in music
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. spell — a short time
  24. racket — for tennis

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