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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
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: lean · board · key · stem · mine · club · fine · cue

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  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. stem — to come from
  2. mine — for digging
  3. lean — to bend
  4. club — for golf
  5. board — to get on
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. club — for dancing
  8. board — a committee
  9. cue — a signal
  10. key — for a lock
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. fine — all right
  13. cue — for pool
  14. lean — thin
  15. fine — high quality
  16. club — a group
  17. cue — a hint
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. key — in music
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. mine — belonging to me
  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