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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: drill · stem · key · ball · arm · bear · content · craft

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. content — the amount
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bear — the animal
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. content — happy
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. craft — a skill
  9. drill — the tool
  10. craft — boats
  11. key — for a lock
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. key — the most important part
  15. ball — a dance
  16. stem — to come from
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bear — the animal
  23. key — in music
  24. drill — army training

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