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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: mug · track · last · stem · patient · key · pitch · can

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. key — the most important part
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. last — final
  5. track — to keep track
  6. last — finally
  7. key — for a lock
  8. stem — to come from
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. key — in music
  11. can — to be able to
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. can — a tin
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. track — a path
  18. track — a song
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. last — to go on
  21. can — a tin
  22. mug — a face
  23. pitch — completely
  24. mug — to rob

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