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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 120 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: hand · stem · key · bore · stand · bay · degree · fork

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — in music
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bore — to tire
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. key — the most important part
  11. degree — temperature
  12. fork — in a road
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. stem — to come from
  16. degree — from a university
  17. hand — help
  18. bore — to drill
  19. degree — an amount
  20. hand — in cards
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. stand — for spectators

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