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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: key · court · spell · bat · foot · can · stem · cue

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. key — in music
  3. cue — for pool
  4. key — for a lock
  5. can — a tin
  6. spell — letters
  7. court — of a king
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. spell — magic
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. can — to be able to
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bat — the animal
  16. spell — a short time
  17. cue — a signal
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. key — the most important part
  21. court — for sport
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. court — of law
  24. foot — a measure

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