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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: stem · race · content · mouse · key · sharp · mark · fan

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. key — the most important part
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. stem — to come from
  7. key — in music
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. content — happy
  10. key — for a lock
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. content — the amount
  17. race — a contest
  18. sharp — clever
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. race — the arms race
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. mark — a trace
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. mark — a grade

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