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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: stem · pitcher · spell · last · date · key · present · mate

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. last — to go on
  4. spell — magic
  5. present — there
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. spell — letters
  8. key — in music
  9. key — for a lock
  10. spell — a short time
  11. present — the time now
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. present — a gift
  14. mate — a partner
  15. date — the fruit
  16. stem — to come from
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. last — final
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. mate — to breed
  23. last — finally
  24. key — the most important part

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