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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
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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: hand · stem · ground · key · game · saw · toast · pit

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  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. hand — in cards
  2. toast — bread
  3. game — a match
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. hand — help
  9. game — wild animals
  10. pit — in a race
  11. saw — the tool
  12. key — for a lock
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. key — in music
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. ground — crushed
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stem — to come from
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — the earth
  23. pit — a hole
  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