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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.

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: cap · bass · straw · stem · key · ball · content · saw

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. bass — the fish
  3. cap — a lid
  4. key — in music
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. saw — the tool
  8. stem — to come from
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. content — happy
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a great time
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bass — low music
  20. cap — a hat
  21. key — for a lock
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. key — the most important part

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