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

Word bank: mate · stem · kick · key · object · club

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. object — to protest
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. object — an aim
  5. club — for dancing
  6. object — a thing
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. club — a group
  9. stem — to come from
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — a friend
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. key — in music
  15. kick — in football
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. key — the most important part
  18. club — for golf

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