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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 120 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: stem · dip · game · plane · kid · ball · key · board

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. plane — a tool
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. key — for a lock
  6. board — a committee
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. ball — a great time
  10. game — a match
  11. kid — to tease
  12. game — wild animals
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. key — in music
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. stem — to come from
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. board — to get on
  20. ball — a dance
  21. kid — child
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. board — a flat piece

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