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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: staff · key · pop · stem · game · fall · calf · bulb

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. fall — the season
  3. fall — to drop
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. staff — employees
  8. key — for a lock
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. game — wild animals
  11. pop — soda
  12. bulb — for light
  13. staff — a stick
  14. fall — to drop
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. game — a match
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. staff — employees
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. stem — to come from
  22. pop — music
  23. key — in music
  24. bulb — for light

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