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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pop · trunk · stem · wave · drill · charge · racket · key

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. stem — to come from
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. drill — army training
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. key — in music
  9. charge — a price
  10. drill — a practice
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. key — for a lock
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — to visit
  17. drill — the tool
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. charge — in control
  21. pop — soda
  22. charge — electricity
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. trunk — of a car

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