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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · pass · spell · chair · key · court · march · staff

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. court — for sport
  3. pass — a permit
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. spell — magic
  6. march — music
  7. march — the month
  8. court — of law
  9. spell — letters
  10. stem — to come from
  11. march — the month
  12. spell — a short time
  13. key — the most important part
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. chair — a leader
  16. key — for a lock
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. staff — employees
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. court — of a king
  21. key — in music
  22. staff — a stick
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. staff — employees

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