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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 · stem · bat · leaves · game · toast · bowl · rest

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. rest — what's left
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — for a lock
  6. toast — bread
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. key — in music
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. game — a match
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. stem — to come from
  14. game — wild animals
  15. rest — what's left
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bat — the animal
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. rest — a break

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