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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: key · content · roll · stem · drill · bay

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. drill — army training
  3. content — happy
  4. key — in music
  5. stem — to come from
  6. roll — a cake
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. drill — a practice
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — for a lock
  15. drill — the tool
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. content — the amount

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