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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: rest · mug · stem · key · pass · pop · court · nail

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. court — for sport
  4. pop — to visit
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. rest — what's left
  7. key — for a lock
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. mug — a cup
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. court — of law
  14. rest — a break
  15. mug — a face
  16. key — the most important part
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mug — to rob
  19. key — in music
  20. stem — to come from
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pop — soda
  23. court — of a king
  24. pop — music

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