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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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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: key · stem · trunk · mark · suit · kid · toast · pound

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. mark — a trace
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kid — to tease
  7. kid — child
  8. toast — bread
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. suit — in cards
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. stem — to come from
  13. key — in music
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. key — for a lock
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. mark — a grade
  21. suit — clothes
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. suit — to fit

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