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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: cap · stem · key · bowl · chest · cell

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. key — the most important part
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. cell — in biology
  5. key — for a lock
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. stem — to come from
  10. key — in music
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — of your body
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. chest — a box
  18. bowl — a football final

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