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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: sharp · stem · dip · bear · ball · key · jam · pitch

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. sharp — clever
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. key — for a lock
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. dip — to sink
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. ball — a great time
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. key — in music
  20. ball — a dance
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bear — the animal
  24. sharp — exactly

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