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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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Word bank
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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: stem · degree · mark · arm · lie · key · drill · racket

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. key — in music
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — the most important part
  7. drill — army training
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. lie — to recline
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — to come from
  13. degree — an amount
  14. drill — the tool
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. degree — from a university
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mark — a grade
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. drill — a practice
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. degree — temperature
  24. mark — a trace

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