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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
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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: deal · fine · fan · nail · key · rush · stem · pitcher

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. stem — to come from
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. deal — to handle
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. rush — hurry
  14. fine — all right
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. key — the most important part
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. key — in music
  24. fine — high quality

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